Ryoma x Reina
by Nispedana
Summary: Fem! Ryoma. Because that pompous brat could've been female, and (perhaps) not that pompous after all. TezuRyoFuji
1. Preparation

**Thank you for clicking lol! Banzai for those who read fem! Ryoma fics~! XD For those who didn't, I would deeply appreciate it if you give my stories a shot! ^^  
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Especially since I wrote this all the way back in 2011... and I do want to believe that my writing already improved drastically since then. I'll try to find time to revamp the first chapters, but for now all I can ask for new readers is _please read until chapter 4 before deciding whether or not to continue on_. xD

THANK YOU! And please don't hesitate to leave your feedback. :D

**Disclaimer: **I WISH I own Price of Tennis

"This is someone's words out loud." | '_This is someone's thoughts.' | _"This is in English"

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><p><strong>CHAPTER I: Exploring Tokyo - Preparation<strong>

It was a refreshing and sunny Saturday morning then in Tokyo, and fortunately it did not exclude a small temple strategically placed above a hill. Its surrounding area, as in many others, was covered with an utterly heavenly atmosphere: an ideal setting to wake up to- indeed, and when the heroine finally decided to wake up from her long slumber, she could not feel any better.

A pretty young girl (who had been asleep since 5pm the previous day) with silky greenish-black hair, alluring golden eyes (and height that she wasn't particularly proud of), yawned as she stretched her arms as far as she could... smiling for the good mood from the dream she just had. It was wonderful: she had _finally_ beat the crap out of her father and brother.

"Ah…" She smiled confidently and talked to her sleeping cat. _Soon…_

"_Meow_" The cat lazily replied, just waking up from the sound of its master's voice. She laughed and she patted his head, telling him how much of a good boy he was. _'You're going to get a treat.' _She told the feline internally and he meowed as if he replied to her thoughts. Her gaze softened even more and she lifted the cat effortlessly, and they both walked to the window to look at the sky.

It was a refreshing and sunny Saturday morning at a place she had never been to before. How could she stay_ possibly_ indoors?

**...**

"Going to do some exploring, Reina?" Her mother, Rinko, asked as she eyed her daughter when she went down. Her eyes twitched immediately. "Cross-dressing _again_?" She exclaimed, troubled by how un-girly her daughter was. "I will not allow it, Reina. You're _twelve_ now. And a _girl, at that. _Start dressing like one. "

Reina groaned in irritation- she liked dressing up liked a boy; it was much more comfortable. Stares of girls were definitely less annoying than men's. Other than that there's the fact that, unlike her (much to her dismay), her brother outgrew his outfits quite quickly. And her brother had a _walking closet _full of clothes. So his garments were barely used. And they were all branded, too.

After she finally overgrew the clothes herself- which took a depressing amount of time- well, she sold them via the internet. 'E-bay is my friend.' was her motto.

_Oh, how many gallons of ice cream she could buy with a pair of_ **_shorts_**…

"But _why_ do I have to dress like a girl, then…?" She asked professionally, trying to reason with her mother.

"That's just the way it is!" Her mother replied. Then when she realized that Reina was going to say something complicated, she cut her off. "And don't '_it's the 21__st__ century and there ought to be new customs' _me, young lady!"

Rinko internally sighed. She didn't really mind at first because her daughter was so adorable no matter what she wore. But now that she's a young teen... she already had her 1st period a month ago, too- **GAH!** She knew she'd regret letting the boys of the house take care of her wardrobe. It was just that her career peaked during her... developmental years, and Rinko was certain her absence had a huge bearing on why her little girl grew up like this._  
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But it wasn't the only one.

Rinko was very disturbed now. Her daughter being such a big tomboy was already a problem, and _that _just had to happen. She knew her daughter would get over it (eventually) but she couldn't let her daughter continue on this streak. It was the main reason they went back to Japan. Reina had gotten tired of the life she had there, it was time to make her feel like the normal teenage girl that she was. And hence, Rinko had no choice but to use her final and strongest weapon.

"Please, Reina…?" Rinko asked her daughter in a sweet voice partnered by her famous puppy dog eyes "…for Okaa-chwan?"

Reina eyes only widened on the outside, even when internally she was yelling in despair._ 'Oh hell no- Not the Puppy dog look!__'_

'_What do I do? What do I do? WHAT DO I _DO_?'. _Since the incident a few months back, she never wore girl's clothing.

Rinko had let her pass for a few months, but now that she had retired from her work in the law department... she was determined to help her daughter get back to the right path. Besides, her daughter had _never _refused her before- she was certain the girl wouldn't start now.

Reina, on the other hand, was grimacing. What was her mother_ thinking_? This was a place she never explored before. For it was true that she knew how to defend herself, one never really knows what might happen. Surely, her mother wouldn't be so confident as to let her go looking like a _girl_?

She didn't like attention, that was for certain. Primarily because it was the cause _most_ of her troubles after her best friends had left. The exemption was cooking, though... she lived to eat, not cook. And there were a lot of things that happened in her childhood that were fixed a year prior, making all her irritation of dressing up as a girl somewhat diminish.

After all, she met _them _again- after so many years. She felt... protected again.

But in the end, her dressing up like a vulnerable little girl was big mistake.

She literally shuddered at the memory.

_-Flashback-_

"_Come one, Reina, honey, go out with me." A rather good-looking young lad asked (or more accurately, ordered) her as he held her chin tilting her face upward._

_Oh, how she wanted to _strangle _the arrogant bastard. _

_Well, she _tried.

_Luck simply wasn't on her side that day... as always, but she somewhat hoped that day was an exemption. The arrogant bastard was hailed _the_ strongest martial artist on their age group in the states, unfortunately, and what made it worse was that four of his cronies were watching in the sidelines with rather amused smiles. _

_If only mass murder wasn't illegal. Well, massacre sounded more fitting then._

_If only massacre wasn't illegal…_

"_Go to hell." She replied coolly followed by one of her trademark glares. _

_Intimidated, his hold on her chin slightly got loose. Reina took advantage and swiftly stepped back, ready to dash away, when the arrogant bastard got a hold of her arms and _kissed_ her._

_He could feel it- the lingering taste of utter disgust.  
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_She could only curse the gods for letting this happen to her.  
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_-End of Flashback-  
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She gagged mentally. Where was that repression of memories when she needed it? Indeed, she got _kissed_ by one of the most disgusting creatures she would ever meet- and when she meant 'most disgusting creature' she wasn't exaggerating.

That guy's smell- it reeked of his sick attitude and personality. What was worse was that he was totally full of himself, in a blind way, and he did not know when to stop bugging Reina- no matter how sharp her words got. The guy believed she was just playing hard to get.

And she attracted a lot of similar guys, as a supposedly uninteresting 12 year old. And truth be told, they were _very _dangerous admirers. But that guy certainly took the cake.

The revenge she did to him wasn't even close to 'satisfying'.

_-Flashback-  
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_Everything turned red after the kiss and what soon became massacre (with the victims still err… alive… sort of) started with a strong and clean uppercut. What happened afterwards was a blur to Reina, and censored for the readers. _

_And with that, Echizen Reina (technically) became the strongest martial artist in her age group in the whole of the United States._

_**...**  
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_Sigh_

Anyone would find it odd that a physically undeveloped 12-year old- that was, vertically challenged and no sex appeal at all- would have a lot of stalkers. She attributed it to her face, and while everyone else knew she looked like an angel, it was still true that she looked a lot like a rising star in the tennis scene - Echizen Ryoma. Which, unfortunately, was the reason she had to cross-dress in the first place. It depressed her that people could have somehow recognized her and started following...

Which led going back to the question: _What was Rinko THINKING_?

_"Awchoo!"_

Rinko wiped her nose to comfort herself. Her daughter, who was standing a few meters away from her, must have been cursing her with her mind. But she shrugged in the end, she believed this was the best course of action.

Besides,she assumed (correctly, probably) that Japan was in general, safer. The place was also less liberal than USA. Her brother and 2 best friends that protected and sheltered her back then were all also here in Japan, not that she knew though. While her brother returned to her a few years back, she certainly had no idea that her friends were there in _Japan. A_nd she wasn't planning on telling her, either.

Rinko recalled how cute the four of them doing practically _everything _together. At least one of the boys always accompanied her every time they were kids were strong, both physically and mentally… which showed in their presence. The boys, regrettably, even ensured that no one was acting 'suspicious' around their princess. This limited the number of new friends she had, yes, but she didn't mind… since they friends she _did _make made up for quality. Reina, being around 7 years old, was rather oblivious to the guards and the wall of protection they made around her.

And when they had to leave, her daughter went in for the shock of her life: Fan clubs became aggressive and admirers popping up as if some supposedly nonexistent balloon of hope suddenly appeared before them.

Yes, it was a shock. And being a good judge of character, the girl knew most of them only saw her either for her face or her last name. So she barely made any new friends. What was worse was that she even had a hard time making her tennis and/or music buddies look at her for the skills she loved and worked hard for.

She started dressing up like a boy for good because it keeps the most dangerous fans away. She even invented a sort of disguise to protect her even when she was in girl's clothes. She looked down on the girl and that look in her eyes told her she just thought of the same thing.

She groaned.

*Several Minutes Later*

Reina now wore a plain white t-shirt partnered with khaki Capri pants. Her long silky hair was now held together by a ponytail, and her beautiful golden orbs- along with half her face- was cover by those _huge_ fake opaque eyeglasses.

"I'll be back in the afternoon, then." She stated as she turned to the door. Rinko panicked for a moment and stopped her. There was one other problem her daughter had-

"You're not gonna bring your brother with you? I'd go wake him up." Rinko offered.

She was certain the girl would get lost.

Her daughter, even with her incredible instincts and reflexes, was err… cursed with a defective sense of direction. The girl wasn't born with it, though... but unfortunately, it could not be cured anymore. Damages had been done.

Reina sighed.

"He must be tired." Reina just replied noticing that her mother was lost in her thoughts _again. _"We just got here last night from the states after all. Unlike me, who could sleep anywhere, he seemed to have this troublesome need to be in a bed. I doubt he got any sleep during the flight. Plus, I bet he's the one who carried me to my room, right? "

Her mother nodded, and decided not to question her any further. Reina was definitely determined to explore, the weather was too good to let pass. "Very well, but you have to wait here for several minutes until I say you can go."

"What for?" Reina asked stoically. Her mother smiled.

"I'd like make a few calls first."

And that she did, for a few minutes she stared at the ceiling and her mother joined her for several minutes that came after. She muttered something about her just sitting still and wait for the doorbell to ring.

_Ding Dong_

"You can go now."Her mother literally shooed her

"Huh?"

"I'm saying get the door and_ then _go adventuring."

"Oh." Reina stood up. "I'm off, then."

She apathetically walked to the door but just as she opened it, something suddenly bear-hugged her.

"WAAAAAAAAH!" A petite girl with long brown hair cried.

"REEIIIINAAAAA! I mishydyuuuuuuuuuuSOoooo much!"

"Sakuno." She called coolly her overly dramatic friend. "We just met a month ago, remember?"

"Well…" She frowned "That's not why I was hurt. I mean, how _could _you not tell me you're in Japan? Huh?" It was a rhetorical question, though so she cut Reina when she was about to answer.

"No, Reina. DON'T YOU _DARE_ SAY YOU WANT TO SURPRISE ME! I know you, you probably just thought it was too troublesome." Reina stared at the statement, it _was _actually._.. _true. Why call when you would see each other soon enough, anyway?

"SEE?" Sakuno exclaimed holding her arms in the air making her point. "That and…" The brunette breathed and then continued, "…how _could _you suddenly retire from the American tennis scene without even telling me?"

'_Oh dear, here she go again with her nonsense arguments.' _Of course she'd retire from the American tennis scene since they are moving to Japan.

Reina knew Sakuno only became this… noisy when she was with her. So she just let it slide and let her one and only female best friend talk. Reina knew Sakuno would continue with her uncharacteristic nagging for a while so Reina decided that they start walking as her friend... monologues.

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**END OF CHAPTER I**

**_Coming Soon:  
><em>CHAPTER II: Exploring Tokyo Day 1!  
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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p>I know it wasn't much of a pilot, but please continue reading.<p>

Ah! But before that...  
>Please tell me what you thought! :D<p> 


	2. Exploring Tokyo I

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed, alerted, and faved me so far! Such acts mean so much to me. **My profile could also use some viewing! Hehe. My other words ( I have 2 other fem! Ryoma fics) and fanarts (like the coverpages) might interest you. ^^

**Disclaimer: **I WISH I own Price of Tennis

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><p><strong>Chapter II: Exploring Tokyo – Day 1<strong>

"So… how did the media take it?" Sakuno asked out of nowhere.

"They didn't. We were probably already here when they found out we were gone." Reina, who seemed to have developed a certain sense that alarmed her when to start listening to the brunette, lazily replied. That and, although she didn't know, her parents used their influence to get out of the country without anyone knowing. Their house in the US, after all, was paparazzi-proof. And well, uninvited media people in general. It wasn't particularly hard to disappear undetected.

Sakuno 'Oohhed' at her answer and then, out of curiosity, asked, "How do you think they _would've _reacted?"

"They'll make a fuss, I'm sure. But me being a 'rising star' or a 'child prodigy' would be a small part of it. The headlines would probably be '_The third prodigy of the samurai clan retires!' _or something like that."

"You underestimate yourself." Sakuno pronounced.

"No, I don't. " Reina replied with certainty.

"If you say so…" The brunette shrugged, aware of how stubborn she could get. "...so where do you want to go?"

"The tennis courts."

Sakuno giggled at the immediate answer.

"I shouldn't have asked."

...

They hopped on the commuter train and sat side-by-side. There were relatively few passengers that day so they could have ample space between them. But just when Sakuno was about to open a topic, 3 high school students entered the train and positioned themselves standing on the train's isle. Sakuno thought it was awkward to have a conversation right in front of the very intimidating looking boys, so they stayed quiet the whole trip.

Well, almost.

It started out as a peaceful trip for Reina, since she could easily tune out all the noise from the older boys. But then a member of the trio, who had long brown fly-away hairstyle accompanied by a below average face, started bragging about tennis. Reina ignored them at first since she did want to avoid unnecessary conflicts, she loved tennis and she liked sending guys like these who blemish the fine, fine image of her love to the deepest parts of hell; but she wasn't a war freak.

Since then, she perpetually tried to coax herself, and she was almost successful, too… then the monkey-faced guy started touching more of her nerves.

It was when the annoying guy suddenly demonstrated his false 'knowledge' of tennis grips, with the racket getting much too close to her best friend's face. And Sakuno, being a timid (most of the time) girl, couldn't say anything.

"Oi. Monkey-face." She called looking straight at the demonstrating teen. "Tennis rackets are used to hit _tennis balls,_ not faces." She stated, looking indifferent as always.

The monkey's eye twitched in annoyance and was about to say something lame when one of his friends unknowingly saved him (from humiliation for the time being, anyway) by telling him to calm down.

"Oh. What's that crawling in your right arm?" She asked feigning innocence. The monkey immediately dropped the racket and searched frantically for whatever was crawling in his arm.

Nothing. The monkey looked at her with an annoyed expression and she just smirked arrogantly. One of the monkey's friends snickered. The monkey immediately blushed in humiliation and anger. Sakuno was a bit worried now… she knew her friend could be _very _arrogant when it came to things she loved, but _this_ was just a potential hazard.

The humiliated monkey quickly grabbed his racket on the floor and was gesturing to threaten Reina with his racket when she suddenly smirked, noticeably mocking the guy.

"That's right." She leered and pointed at his racket._ 'The joy of annoying annoying people…'_

"That's the western grip. The grip that is held as if you're picking it up. The eastern grip is held as if you're shaking hands."

_Silence_

"T-THAT DOES IT. " her victim was now visually half-crazy with anger. He was about to hit Reina with a racket when both of his friends got in time to stop him. "S-Sasabe! What the hell! Do you _want _to get us in trouble?" The two other boys were dumbstruck at what their friend almost did to a kid, and a _girl_ at that.

Sasabe breathed heavily and then exhaled. "Gomen. Gomen. Did I scare you?" He laughed half-heartedly, still visually mad. "I was just scaring the kid off, you know." He lied. But his friends just let go of him anyway and led him to the door as soon as the train stopped.

**...**

"_Sheesh_, Reina. You almost got sent to the hospital for those little _impulses _of yours!" Sakuno vehemently declared as they headed to the courts..

"You're 13 years old Sakuno, but you sound just like my mother." She replied lazily. And just continued walking while Sakuno was stopped in her tracks.

"REINA!" She called for the friend who's pretty much ignoring her. The brunette shouted inwardly in irritation. '_She's going to get herself killed someday because of her love of tennis.'_

But in the end, one could never imagine a world without Echizen Reina.

*Moments Later*

"Here." Sakuno said as she handed the ice-cold grape Ponta to the anticipating Reina.

She thanked Sakuno and asked her what she was drinking. "Broccoli juice " Sakuno answered, she added something like the juice being new and she wanted to try it out.

"Oh?" Reina expressed in curiosity. Being a food-lover, she wondered how it'd taste. She promised herself she will try it the next time she encountered a vending machine. Lucky her, the park had tons.

After finishing her drink, she thought that the rest of the day would be relatively peaceful and bug-free. Well, she was easily proven wrong a few minutes afterwards.

"Ara. Ara." arrogantly said by an annoyingly familiar voice. She looked behind her and Sakuno, and there they were.

"Ei. Monkey face. " She greeted coolly.

"Tsk." Sasabe, angry yet again clenched his fist towards Reina in a vain attempt to intimidate the girl.

"Sasabe…" Called one of his friends. _'not again…' _

Sasabe, as stupid as he was, wasn't going to let a kid get to his nerves (she already did, baka) especially when he's in front of his friends. He looked haughtily at Reina.

"Hai, hai. Let's get going to my match now. A _kid _wouldn't understand how important a _real _tennis match is."

Reina's eye twitched. '_He, the oh so untalented one, belittled ME in _tennis_ ?.'_

Sakuno cringed. She actually felt sorry, all-of-a-sudden, for the poor monkey.

"Ne." Reina called as the trio was walking away.

"Want me to teach you how to play tennis?"

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><p><span>A RANDOM TENNIS COURT, several minutes later<span>

Sasabe didn't stand a chance, his friends incredulously admitted. Sasabe was still in denial though. To be beaten _that _bad by a 12-year-old _girl_…

One of Sasabe's cronies pointed at their friend who was now crouched on the courts breathing heavily, wide-eyed. "I think we should get him professional help as soon as we can." The other one nodded and they each took Sasabe's arms to their shoulders.

But before they left the courts they looked at the tiny figure of the girl who defeated Sasabe. She was talking with her friend from the train and an older woman in a pink jersey who arrived in the middle of their game.

_She wasn't even sweating._

'_WHAT A MONSTER.' _They thought syn-chronically.

**...**

"What's with the hideous glasses?" the old woman frowned. "It hides your pretty face."

"That's the point." She declared, ignoring the later comment. The woman just stared at her for a while, before muttering "No surprise there." She laughed boisterously at her own comment, embarrassing Sakuno very much.

That was the first time the old woman saw the girl in this err… appearance . But she could immediately conclude that Reina was comfortable with herself right now, so she let it go.

Reina was thankful the woman didn't push it. It truly was _the_ most comfortable get-up Reina could come up with. But sad to say the glasses, even without any grade, still hindered the light entering the eyes to a certain degree. There was a small chance her vision will be affected if she used it too often.

Hell she would risk it.

So, in the end, cross-dressing was her best bet. She watched the Ryuzakis chat for a while, occasionally asking for her comments- even turning the topic and make it center on _her_, much to her dismay. When the two suddenly made bets on when she would get a monstrosity called a 'boyfriend', she felt a few veins popping in her head.

_Riiing! _

The old woman's phone rang, saving her from one of Reina's snide comments. The woman's expression changed and after a somewhat… emotional exchange, the old woman finally put down her phone and grinned at her granddaughter. "We have to go to your aunt right _now." _

Sakuno winced. "Eh, now? Why?"

"Your Aunt Cecil is going to labor."

"EH!" Sakuno clasped her hands together happily.

"Congratulations" Reina shrugged. The old woman flinched at the recollection that she was there, "Want to come with us…? I don't recommend it, though. You'll be waiting for hours."

"No thanks, Sensei. I'd like to stay here."

"Okay then. Take care kiddo." The old woman waved hurriedly. Sakuno nodded and gave Reina a quick hug. "Sorry about this, Reina … See you at school in 2 days."

Reina watched them go maintaining that stoic face of hers as she drank her Ponta. She could not help but smirk the old woman was making.

"I'm going to be a great grandmother!" The woman shouted, much to her granddaughter's embarrassment...

Again.

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**END OF CHAPTER II**

**_Coming Soon:  
><em>CHAPTER III: Exploring Tokyo Part 2!  
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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p>Thank you for reading~<p>

I would deeply appreciate you giving me the pleasure of knowing what you thought. :D


	3. Exploring Tokyo II

**Thank you for reading this far! Special thanks to those who reviewed, fav'ed, subscribed, and C2d this story!  
>Feel free to point out mistakes, chopped sentences (probably by the docmanager), or just plain comment. ^^ I love reading every and each on of them!<br>**

**Disclaimer: **I WISH I own Price of Tennis

...

**REPLIES TO ANGELS SECTION **(A.K.A REPLIES TO REVIEWERS SECTION) - will be moved to end of chapters from now on. ^^

**Yuri – **Haha. Thanks. And yeah… I like he pillar pair, too. But, there's still so much that could happen, so well... there's a chance they won't end up together. Tezuka's chance of ending up with Reina is about 50%, which is a big number.

**dJhAmystery** - I'm glad you think so. ^^

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><p><em>...<em>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER III: Exploring Tokyo Part 2<br>**

PUBLIC TENNIS COURTS

It was still sunny, much to Reina's closed her eyes and everything went quiet. All she heard were the beautiful birds singing their songs, as well as the relaxing sound of rustling leaves. When a leaf landed on her face, she opened her eyes and switched to another mode of past-time:

Staring blankly into thin air.

She watched the clouds pass by for a while and waited for her eyes to hurt. It didn't take her long to get bored, and so she decided to take a little stroll around the park. Her mother d_id_ ask her to come back before dinner and she was planning to do just that. The clock said '10:30am' hence there was plenty of time to spare.

'_What to do... what to do…'_ she chanted as she wandered around. She noted that the vending machines were quite far apart from each other…

_'I wonder how many Pontas each of them have.' _She pondered automatically, used to the first things that she thought about.

After thinking (and making some rough 'calculations') about the quantity of Ponta in each vending machine, she decided to walk around and watch ongoing tennis matches. But her eyes left the courts practically as soon as she laid eyes on them.

_'What boring matches…'_ she mused disapprovingly, and rightfully so.

She continued to walk around hoping that she would encounter _something _interesting.

Then, she heard it.

It was the sound made by a tennis ball and a tennis racket when they make contact at _precisely_ the right places, at precisely the right moment. With that, she knew immediately that she was walking towards an amazing player.

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><p>Tezuka Kunimitsu was bored. It was Saturday and he would've preferred that he stay home. He still had quite a bit of work to finish before Monday, the start of classes.<p>

He was planning on doing his assignments in academics, student council, and fixing certain issues in the tennis club. Yes, he had a lot of work to do. Wasting his time outside, when he should be doing other things, and hitting a tennis ball for an hour on the wall could be quite stressful.

What was his mother _thinking_?

...

TEZUKA HOUSEHOLD

"La~Lalalala- _Awchoo!_" A pretty woman with silky brown hair wiped her nose, soon returning to cleaning the floor. She sang again, quite in a good mood. She did something good that day.

She smiled.

She, Tezuka Ayana, was 45 years old and was getting younger. At least, that's what she believed…

Ayana was one of those people who believed that age depended on a person's state of mind. So yes, she WAS getting younger. She was a now a very young woman, indeed!

Well…, compared to her son, anyway.

Kunimitsu was his grandfather's favorite, and was raised by him for most of his childhood. The old man believed that she wouldn't be able to raise his grandchild the way he wanted to, so he took the liberty to take him into custody until he was 13 years old.

Old man Kunikazu was a very conservative and traditional man. He was firm on his beliefs and was incurably close-minded. His concept of strength was having a devoid of emotions. And he wanted everyone, with his blood, strong.

And so a family without emotions was born.

Much to her dismay, her son was said to be one of the 'strongest' in their family. His lack of emotion and will to enjoy life was worse than his father...

His father...

Ayana married Kuniharu because of her nearly unconditional love for him. She didn't really understand herself, but it has something to do with wanting to change him for the better.

And she wanted to be the one to change him.

Yes, it was sappy. But who didn't want to have a _effect_ on the person they love?

She only managed to make him smile occasionally. That's that. She worked hard year after year only to get her husband to open up, but she reaped only minimal results. She still loved him, don't get her wrong. It was just a bit depressing how serious Kuniharu was about everything…

And Tezuka was even more stoic than his father.

Having the thought that her son would never smile like a normal person terrified Ayana consequently making her determined to do something about her son's predicament. Albeit he seemed a bit happier now, thanks to tennis and his team, he still lacked the joy she wanted him to experience. Kunimitsu, as he was now, only smiled through his eyes. And even those moments were pretty rare.

So she told herself that she was going to make a move.

Again, she felt quite proud of herself.

_-flashback-_

"_B-But Mother!" Her son tried to reason out with her as he was being pushed towards the door. "I have so many things to take care of before the class starts." He exclaimed. Although in his case, 'exclaimed' meant his eyebrows met and the volume of his voice was a _little _louder than normal._

_Ayana frowned in disapproval.  
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"_Oh don't you say you're BUSY! I know you could finish everything tomorrow." She yelled. "The weather is so good today!" She muttered and opened the door. "Go enjoy yourself." She said as she literally shoved her son outside the door._

_Kunimitsu just sighed and went to the gate._

_Then Ayana remembered how much of a workaholic her son was. She took a hold of the bag beside the door and shouted at him before he exited the yard:_

"_NO going to libraries or anywhere else wherein you're planning to do your work!" She threw him his tennis bag. "I trust that you will do only tennis and other -preferably the other- recreational activities for today, Kunimitsu. _

_"AND DON'T COME BACK BEFORE DINNER!" _

_Then she closed the door with a satisfied smile. _

_-End of flashback-_

DEEP INSIDE THE PUBLIC TENNIS COURTS, present

She saw him. She watched him. And soon, she admired him.

He had an extraordinary tennis form. He received the ball coming from the wall with grace she so rarely witnessed. He was tall and good-looking: He had silky light brown hair partnered with eyes of the same color but with a lighter shade. _'He looks like a high school student._' Reina even assumed.

She continued to watch him in the side, careful not to get noticed. She was good at hiding her presence, a skill vital to girl with crazy fan clubs. And as she watched him, she concluded many things. She knew that this guy had a passion for tennis, even when he looked bored as hell. She smirked at a thought.

_'He probably _thinks _he's bored right now.'_

Not a moment later, though, he noticed her. _'Oh… He's sensitive.' _Reina thought a little impressed.

But even as their eyes met- he just stared at her, waiting for her to say something. But for a few moments, she just stared back. She looked at his beautiful yet emotionless brown eyes, and she knew immediately what he needed.

"Ne..." She uttered coolly. "You look bored.

"Play with me."

...

*Several Minutes Later*

"6 games to 3. You win." She muttered. He smiled a little with his eyes, getting Reina to smile back. The game took 40 minutes to finish. Reina was breathing heavily, still surprised at how good her opponent was. She definitely did her best and she just _knew _he held back. She didn't know why, but she wasn't offended. She just felt that he wasn't willingly holding back.

"Well, that was amusing." She shrugged as she stood up straight and went to the net. "Indeed." Tezuka agreed and did the same. Both of them admitted to themselves that their opponent was truly exceptional and that it was definitely a great game. It was the first time for both of them to have such an unusually amusing game with a stranger. They wanted to get the other's contact number so that they could do it again.

It was Tezuka who initiated, "It was a great game. Mind if we play again sometime in the future?" He asked as stoic as ever.

"Not at all. In fact, I was about to propose the same thing." She replied in her usual apathetic tone of voice.

Tezuka noted that he was unusually happy with the stranger's reply. He just attributed it to the good game they just had. "Tezuka Kunimitsu." He blurted out, startled at himself for being so eager to introduce himself… and find out the strange girl's identity. The girl's expression softened, much to Tezuka's mysterious delight, and told him her name.

'_Echizen Reina. Reina… it suits her-" _he swiftly caught himself and dismissed that last thought. He was going to have a headache, he was sure. So, he tried to push all the alien thoughts away.

"So, how do we contact each other?" Reina asked suddenly remembering that she broke her phone, by accidentally dropping it on the stairs, before they left for Japan because they were in such a hurry. "I no longer have a mobile phone…"

Disappointed that he wouldn't be able to contact her with a handy mobile phone, Tezuka just offered if they should go with e-mails. She nodded, and they exchanged their email adds.

They walked to the court's gate together, but what baffled both of them was that they were going to the same direction even after they already said their good-byes.

"'Where to?" She asked. She was going to get a can of Ponta. Tezuka replied by pointing at a vending machine. Reina found an almost invisible smile creep up her face.

"Ah, so we're going to the same spot, then."

When they reached the machine in question, she saw that the counter under 'Ponta' indicated that there was only a single can left. _'Oh… This might be my lucky day.' _She thought in satisfaction. But, when she was about to open her drink she noted that Tezuka looked at it for a moment and she saw some kind of instantaneous disappointment in his eyes.

"You like Ponta?" She inquired. This startled Tezuka a bit since her question caught him off guard, not that anyone but Ayana, Inui, Fuji, and now Reina would have noticed. He was about to lie when he felt something cold being pushed to his stomach.

"Here." The girl offered her Ponta by softly pushing it to him. "I was thinking of trying something else, anyway." Tezuka let out an extremely faint but unwanted blush, and was about to say something to politely refuse her offer when she put the can in his hands and nonchalantly took his coin as payment. And before he knew it she was holding a green can with the name "Broccoli juice" embedded on it.

"Seriously?" He asked in incredulity. The girl just pouted. "What? I was curious on how it would taste… "

Tezuka, also curious, just watched the girl to see her reaction. The girl was pleasantly surprised at the taste of the mysterious beverage, much to _his _delight.

"Honey… They added sweet, _sweet _honey!" She uncharacteristically exclaimed (which was an odd and hasty thought since they just met) with eyes so enthusiastic that he couldn't help but feel her joy.

But then the girl offered him her drink, catching him off-guard (again). "Taste it. It's even tastier than I thought!" She proposed with such anticipation that he couldn't refuse.

And it _did_ taste good, much to Tezuka's surprise. He just nodded, looking as stoic as usual, in agreement. Reina then took her can back and he watched her drink her new found favorite, when it hit him.

His eyes twitched.

_Did they just have an indirect kiss?_

"What's wrong Tezuka-san?" She asked as she drunk her 3rd can of broccoli juice. "You haven't touched your Ponta yet…"

She paused. Tezuka's blush that was now deep enough for very observant people to notice. She stared at him anxiously. "Do you have a fever? I didn't notice."

Tezuka shook his head and unconsciously smiled. "I just need to drink because it's really getting hot now, I suppose." He lied. Reina felt that he wasn't telling her something but she just let it go.

A few minutes of chatting later they both found out that neither of them could go back home before dinner, so it only seemed 'natural' for them to decide that they should eat together.

It was natural, even if they would normally prefer eating alone than being with a stranger.

_Right...?_

* * *

><p><span>JOLLIBEE<span>

The two teenagers decided to spend their lunch at certain fast-food chain swiftly becoming popular in their area.

Tezuka took a single order of chicken barbeque with rice while Reina bought 2-piece burger steak with 2 extra rice and 1 piece chicken-sandwich accompanied by a serving of peach mango pie and a sundae cone for dessert. Tezuka was no longer surprised at his company's big appetite. After all, just a few minutes ago she drank 12 cans of Broccoli juice in a matter of minutes.

While they ate, they started talking about their lives. Apparently Tezuka was still a junior-high student, pretty much hitting Reina conscience. She quickly apologized for her rudeness but Tezuka just said he was used to it. He went to a familiar sounding middle school called 'Seigaku'. Reina wondered why it sounded familiar and asked Tezuka if he knew why.

"Our school is famous for our boy's tennis club." He stated as apathetically as he could.

"Oh? You're a regular there, I'm sure." She said and he nodded. She knew she wasn't familiar with the school because of the tennis club, but she just let the thought go for now.

Tezuka stared at her as she pondered about something. "In fact, I'm the Captain." He declared, surprising himself yet again. Normally he would just admit he was a regular. But he felt this surprising urge to show off for reasons he had yet to comprehend.

"Ehh…" She smiled, only slightly impressed since she thought that he is too good _not _to be captain. Nevertheless, Tezuka felt a strange kind of pride.

"So, tell me about your team." She requested and Tezuka debated himself whether or not to speak about them. He himself disliked being talked about behind his back so he wasn't so sure if it's right to talk about his friends behind _their _backs.

Reina noticed the inner war Tezuka was experiencing. But she was really curious as to what type of people the guy hung out with everyday.

"Hmmm… Then what about we make some sort of code name for them, then…?" she suggested. He nodded, telling her to continue.

"Hmm… Say you're codename is K-san."

"K-san?" He asked, perplexed.

"For Kunimitsu, no?" She said matter-of-factly.

Tezuka was quick to tame his heating cheeks. He really _liked _the way his name sounded when it came from her mouth. Maybe they should refer each other on a first-name basis.

His eye twitched at that last thought. _' But you just met her, Kunimitsu.' _

He sighed. Quite audibly and it caught Reina's attention at the worst possible time.

"You don't like it?" Reina asked, and Tezuka couldn't even say anything. Reina took his silence as a 'yes'.

"Mah, you don't need a codename anyway." She shrugged. "So… Describe your teammates and we'll make names for them." She offered with a smirk, and he could not help but agree.

*Several Minutes Later*

They had fun talking and commenting about the regulars. They even chuckled a lot. Although in Tezuka's case, the laughs were rather instantaneous. He always managed to stop himself from showing too much of himself… In fact, there were several moments during and even before their lunch together wherein a part of him wanted to run away. His behavior at the moment was considered weak in his family, and of course he didn't want that. He took great pride in his 'strength' since as far as he could remember.

And now this girl, without even trying, was ruining _everything_.

He looked at the said girl with a mix of emotions, some of which he could not describe. She was writing down the new names of his friends. She seemed enthusiastic about this for some reason…

Then she suddenly smiled, making him feel as if he was melting. She seemed to have finished her naming and told them to him as well as her reasons for choosing the names. He couldn't help but smile.

**Moonhead-san** – The vice captain. Tezuka described the guy as a mother figure to the team (much to Reina's amusement). The vice captain also had a hairstyle that followed the curve of his head. One of his trademark techniques is name 'Moon Volley' as well.

**Glue guy** – Be on this guy's bad side and you'll find yourself in a _sticky_ situation. He also liked Wasabi, which you can use to make paste. And there's the fact that his eyes are always closed as if they're glued together and he had a smile seemingly plastered to his face.

**Sushi Monster** – His family owned a sushi restaurant. An aspiring Sushi chef. He was a very meek and quiet person. But when gets a hold of something his hands could grasp he turned into this over-confident, bad-mouthed, semi-English speaking dude. '_Seems like someone who has a bad case of inferiority complex.' _ She thought to herself upon hearing Tezuka's description.

**Neko-chan** – Simple. Tezuka described this guy as a human cat.

**Porcupine-nii**– Tezuka said the guy's hairdo resembles a porcupine. This was person is also a data player. He, like Reina was gifted with the gift of observation. He also had opaque glasses. And hence, the honorific.

**Bushyeyebrows-kun**– Self-explanatory.

**Buggy-kun** – It was originally 'snake-kun' since Tezuka described him as a human snake. But it didn't sound cute at all. Also, the technique of said guy called "snake" was a version of the buggy-whip shot. Tezuka added that he always frowns, growing eye bags along the years.

"These are pretty accurate." Tezuka complimented. She just grinned in satisfaction.

...

OUTSIDE THE FAST-FOOD CHAIN

They stood there silent for a while. Now that lunch was over, there was really no reason to continue hanging out.

'_So this is goodbye then…' _he said to himself with a hint of sadness that he didn't detect_. 'This is good, right? There was always a part of you who wanted to get away from her, anyway.' _Right. So, why was he hesitating?

'_It's still early…' _he muttered. _'She did say she doesn't need to be home by dinner… I certainly can't go home too early…'_

'_What the heck are you trying to say, then? You want to stay with her a while longer?' _His inner voice commented in skepticism, as if he was the idiot he dreaded to be.

'_Well, no…' _He replied, missing the fact that he was not quite sure anymore.

The debate went on. Normal people wouldn't notice this at all, though. Tezuka really just looked like he was on the street walking away from home and had to abruptly stopped because he suddenly realized that he forgot something, and was now trying to remember what it was.

His voice of reason finally threw out his final shot: _'Well. Just don't blame me if you get humiliated. Only weaklings get humiliated, Kunimitsu.'  
><em>

"Tezuka-san?" A very familiar voice said caguely. He forced his other voice away.

"...yes?"

"Do you have something you need to do…?" She asked. He decided to answer immediately before he engage to another inner war or something. "No, I don't." He replied as stoically as he could.

"I see, then." She said, looking at the pavement. Somehow Tezuka didn't like this atmosphere. "So this is it then. It was nice to meet you, Tezuka-san."

"What?"

They blinked simultaneously at that reaction. Tezuka just knew his voice was uncharacteristically higher and he could see what his inner voice was saying about completely humiliating himself.

"I..." she whispered, evidently not quite knowing what to say. Tezuka felt a twinge of guilt for causing her uneasiness. "I said it was nice to meet you."

_Silence_

"Likewise."

But there they stood, frozen.

They simultaneously smiled.

It was so obvious neither of them wanted to part quite yet.

"So... would you like me to show you around?"

She grinned. "Thanks."

...

They walked side-by-side enjoying the comfortable silence for a while and took advantage of it to arrange their thoughts.

Reina recalled earlier events with a smile. She was pretty satisfied with the names she made. In a sense, she felt a bit closer to Tezuka now, since she knew to some degree the friends he played with everyday. That's why she was quite enthusiastic about the naming.

But then she remembered- a little too clearly- that there were instances that Tezuka was simply acting weird…

Those dreaded moments when she actually fought with insecurities- which was highly disturbing because of the self-confidence she usually had.

Did he dislike what she was doing? Or _her_ in general? Was he just holding himself back because he was a gentleman…?

She was really starting to think he disliked her. After all, he frowned quite often while they were together. He also stopped himself if ever he started laughing. Then, those are those moments when it seems like he's having a war with himself. At those times she thought that he was debating himself how to tell her he needed to go and do something else…

So when he offered to be her guide, she was greatly relieved of all the discomforting thoughts. He didn't seem to have unwillingly offered it at all, either.

They went to see the central library, the shopping center, the doubles-only tennis courts, and then stopped at the park to get some rest. This time, Reina bought a Ponta while Tezuka bought their new discovery – the broccoli juice. While she was drinking, she noticed the big stand-alone clock in the middle of the park. It said 4:00pm.

'_Oh, man.' _She murmured. Tezuka noticed this (slight) change in expression and looked at what caused it.

_'She didn't need to go _now_, did she?' _Tezuka narrowed his eyes and his large brain automatically formulated assumptions._ Personal_ ones, at that, and it perturbed him greatly. What was even more disturbing is that the assumptions simply would _not_ stop.

He tried to convince himself. He was making quite an effort to push the thoughts away that he didn't notice the girl was already in front of him.

"Tezuka-san…" She muttered looking down in embarrassment. "I-I have to go home now…"

Tezuka blinked at her sudden appearance. She just said the words that he didn't want to hear yet. Why? Didn't they have some sort of unspoken mutual agreement that they will hang out until (before) dinner? Or was that just him, after all…

He _couldn't_ believe how disappointed he was. Was he _this_ bored?

"Do you have to go somewhere?" He just asked looking indifferent.

"I just said I need to go home…" She replied confused by the sudden harshness in the voice of her friend.

"Yes, but I thought that you need be home a little before dinner?" He asked, although he noticed that he sounded as if he was interrogating her. Maybe he _was _interrogating her.

"You see…" Reina flushed all of a sudden, much to Tezuka's displeasure. _'Does she have a date with someone?'_ He asked himself. Wait. Why did he care anyway?

Blasted assumptions just wouldn't stop. .

"I get lost so easily. It's kind of like a curse, really. In addition to that, I barely know this place. So if I don't go _now_, I will most probably be late." She said as a matter-of-factly and Tezuka was relieved beyond his comprehension. He smiled, and then asked her address. Maybe he could help her find her house. Reina obliged, not questioning him at all.

"Oh? This… is just a few streets away from my house." Tezuka said, surprised…both by the strange coincidence _and _his unreasonable glee.

"NO WAY!" She exclaimed quite shocked by the turn of events. Then she suddenly laughed "That is so cool."

Tezuka couldn't help but laugh with her. He now made no attempt on stopping himself. He remembered the constriction he put on himself earlier almost cost him well..._ her._

"Tezuka-san, since I doubt I'll get lost now…" She grinned and pointed towards the theater they passed through before. "I'll treat you as a thank you."

* * *

><p><span>STREETS LEADING TO THE ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD<span>

They talked about the movie they watched on their way to her home. The movie was Walt Disney's _Wall-E. _

Reina still liked that kind of cartoon as well as animes at her age. In fact, she thought she would never get tired of them.

Tezuka, on the other hand, _never _watched cartoons before. He thought they were too childish. But the fact that Reina looked so _happy_… seeing her like that gave him strange surge of joy that suddenly pierced his body.

"AH, here we are." Reina abruptly stopped. Tezuka didn't see a house, instead he saw _stairs_ - the type of stairs leading up to a temple.

He just looked at her suspiciously and she giggled. "My father was asked to take care of the temple by an old friend of his. So in exchange, the whole family was allowed to live there for free." Then she stared at him and asked: "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

'_I would love to.' _he wanted to reply. But that was just pushing it. They just met after all, her family would be worried.

Tezuka just replied with a soft smile. "I have to go home now, Mother will be worried. Besides, with our house this close to each other, we're bound to meet each other again from time to time." He said as reassurance, more to himself than to her.

She held out his hand, and he unthinkingly went to shake it. A moment of understanding passed by and they smirked at the same time, feeling the same way.

"Pleasure to meet you, too."

...

TEZUKA HOUSEHOLD

Ayana just finished making dinner. She wondered where her son could be; normally he would have been here 20mins ago. She was about to get worried when she heard a familiar voice say: "Tadaima."

She was startled at her son's peculiar tone of voice. It simply wasn't the emotionless and bored tone she was used to. Curious, she ran quietly to the hall.

What she saw made her heart burst out in joy.

Her son was humming... _Humming!_

…and it was accompanied by the biggest and most beautiful smile her son had ever worn.

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER III **

_**Coming Soon:**  
><em>**Exploring Tokyo - Day 2**

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><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p>One of the nicest things a reader can give a writer is telling them their reactions as they read. ^^<p>

So Please spare a minute or two and Review! :-)


	4. Exploring Tokyo III

Please **read and review**! I would be so happy to read your thoughts and reactions. XD Do check out my profile from time to time as well! And finally, the **Prince of Tennis fanfiction **page is ready to be **liked**! Hehehe

**Disclaimer:** I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

* * *

><p><em>...<em>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER IV: Exploring Tokyo – Day 2<strong>

ECHIZEN RESIDENCE

Echizen Reina and Karupin were both in deep slumber. The two of them looked adorable, approachable, and helpless when they are sleeping, albeit saying _that_ to their faces will cause one his/her life. Echizen was sleeping in a fetal position, while Karupin was curled up inside the area surrounded by his mistress' body.

Karupin, the smart cat, started moving after a while. He purred here and then with his claws occasionally revealing themselves. He _was_ still asleep, and he was having an unusual dream.

"_Squeek squeek" _

_His eyes dilated as he heard that utterly delicious sound. His stomach suddenly growled. Hungry, he followed the attractive sound eventually finding its source. He noticed that he was actually in a desert because of the beautiful white mouse that was in front of him. It was in a small area of lushness humans call an oasis. It was oddly beautiful, especially with his prey in the middle of it. _

_He went to approach it but, to his dismay, it ran away. He chased it, unsure if he just wanted to play with his food or if he simply wanted to follow it. Even if it was much smaller than him, it had an unbelievable speed. But, also being quick for his size, he eventually caught up with it. But just when he was about to catch it…_

_The pretty white mouse disappeared. _

"**AH**!" His mistress shouted in pain as she held one of her hands with the other. He stared at her, worried. Her expression softened, sighed, and petted him. He meowed in delight before seeing why his mistress exclaimed in the first place.

"Did you have a bad dream, Karupin?" Reina asked her cat as she patted his back with her undamaged hands. Karupin sort of retracted his claw in the wrong place at the wrong time. He meowed, but not as a reply but as an inquiry about her left hand. The cat stared at the wound for a while seemingly contemplating if he was the one at fault. She just smiled at her cat's worries. "Don't worry Karupin, its no one's fault." She reassured him as he lifted him and looked at the window.

She looked at her clock; it was already 7:30am. Normally she would be wide awake this time in the morning, but looking again at her window. It was literally _pouring _water. No wonder she felt even lazier than usual that day.

_'And it was so sunny yesterday, darned Global warming.'_

She sighed.

"It looks like I'm reading mangas today."

**...**

Breakfast that day was Japanese. Reina preferred Japanese food more than anything, hence making the dreadful morning a bit better.

"Gochosousama..." She said and went up to her room to take a bath. After her nice warm bath, she slumped on her bed and started reading her favorite manga of all time:_ One piece._

She even got one of her matching stuffed toys beside her just for the heck of it.

*One hour later*

"W-WHAT?" Reina exclaimed as she looked at the last page of the manga _again_. She was standing up now. "That's it?" She complained. She checked again. _'Same as before…'_

"What the heck - THAT WAS THE BIGGEST CLIFF HANGER IN MANGA HISTORY!" She shouted, unsatisfied.

She lied down on her bed. Rolled all over it, thinking of what would happen next. '_Shikusoooo' _She cursed.

Yes. She was _obsessed_ with this particular anime/manga. If her father had his magazines, her mother with her cook books, and her brother his clothes; she had her 'one piece' collection (and Karupin).

It was the reason why her 'weaknesses' are kept under utter secrecy.

Reina, too, _always _had the latest releases in anime and manga. Her frugality disappear every time she see an amazing replica of one of the characters. She even had a wonderful collection of stuff toys and action figures, located at one side of her room. She didn't buy most of them though- they were too expensive. Her old friend/co-obsessor (No, there is no such word) was responsible for sponsoring this hoarding business. He was the one who, after all, introduced her to the series in the first place.

Still unsettled, she opened her desktop. She wanted to know when the next volume would come out.

And a few clicks later, her eyes started twitching uncharacteristically again.

"Today?" She exclaimed. She looked at the clock. _8:45am._

The shop opens in 15mins. And considered how quickly it gets sold out….

She looked outside. "Seems like the rain has subsided for now…" She said and jumped out of the chair to swiftly put on casual clothing and her glasses before running down stairs and picked up a random umbrella just lying near the door.

_'I will get you, latest volume.' _She swore. _'I promise.'_

**_..._**

BOOKSTORE, An hour later

_Huff... Huff..._

She finally reached the bookstore, panting. _'Darn it! Of all the times to get lost -'She_ said to herself irritably, as if this was one of the _few _times she got lost.

She went inside after taking a deep breath and there it there was only_ one_ freaking copy left!

She 'walked' as fast as she could to the rack containing the lone comic book without looking around for she didn't want to be distracted. When she finally got a hold of it, she was definitely relieved. Sure, it no longer had a plastic cover, but it definitely still did look good enough.

She excitedly lifted it, but when she was about to pull it towards her… well, she _couldn't._ It was as if the book refused to go with her. "Do you hate me?"she asked it with a worried face.

Moments later, her sight of reason came back and she realized that it_ didn'_t hate her- there was just another hand pulling it away from her. Her eyes twitched.

"Who are you?" She asked the boy with a pretty feminine face as she glared at him. He had a relatively long honey-brown hair, and his eyes looked (almost) closed all the way because of that fake smile stuck on his face. '_Isn't that just uncomfortable?'  
><em>

"I'm afraid I am not obliged to answer that. And could you please let go of this manga? I saw it first, you know." He answered with a constant expression.

"Are you really a boy?" She asked.

"What makes you ask that?" The boy returned the question.

"Well, shouldn't you be a gentleman and let me, _a girl_, have it instead. Besides, I _don't_ believe you saw it first. " She stated stoically.

"Ah… But I'm not a boy." He smiled his fake smile. This caught her of guard, she was pretty sure the guy is male. Her hand loosened and the boy quickly took advantage. _'My manga!' _ She shouted internally in despair as her eyes followed the figure heading towards the counter.

She quickly regained her composure and ran after her. She was really quick, she noted. She even deduced she's probably an athlete_, _but Reina would not lose when it came to speed. She walked as fast as she could and soon overtook the taller girl. She quickly grabbed money from her wallet and placed it on the counter the other girl just placed the manga in her rush. The oblivious cashier took Reina's money and the next thing the other girl knew, Reina was already out the door giving off a satisfied (and not to mention arrogant) smirk.

* * *

><p>Back in the shop, the other girl's eyes were wide open and she stared at the direction Reina went. She was then standing at where Reina was several seconds prior, and watched her go. She could not help but smile in amusement.<p>

"Aiya… She sure got me there."

And after a few minutes of remaining in a daze, she finally gestured to go home. There was nothing to do there, after all. As she walked, she tilted her head up to the sky and smiled at the interesting events that happened to him.

She chuckled mentally at that girl's face.

Fuji Syusuke was _not_ a girl. But he couldn't help himself. It was just so fun playing around with people, especially when you had nothing better to do.

_-Flashback-_

_His day started relatively normal. He woke up at around 8am in the morning, ate breakfast, and took a bath. When he went downstairs, he found his sister and she smiled at him. "Syusuke"  
><em>

"_Yes, nee-chan?" He answered. His sister was taller than him, had curly orange hair, and was said to be one of the most popular girl in her college. _

"_Are you going out today?" She inquired._

"_Hmm… depends. Do you have anything you want me to do?" He asked, already knowing the answer._

"_Well, yes." She replied as she gave him a piece of paper. "It's a book I reserved a while back. It seems like they'll be having it today. Mind getting it for me? It's in our favorite bookstore."_

"_No problem, nee-chan. I'm planning on buying a new book for a past time, anyway." He smiled and went upstairs to get ready._

_He walked rather slowly and reached the bookstore in about 30 minutes. He entered and got his sister's book and bought one for himself. He noticed that there was a rack surrounded by people. He watched it for a while and saw that the said shelf contained a very popular manga. Not even an hour after the bookstore opened and there's only one copy left. He liked the anime, but he never thought of reading the manga. So there was no reason to start now._

_Well that's what he decided_, _before he saw _her.

_She entered the bookstore, looking a bit haggard. She has black hair with length just slightly below her shoulders. She also wore huge opaque glasses which reminded him of his teammate. She looked around the bookstore until her eyes set on the rack. Even though most of her face was covered – particularly her eyes, he still thought that she had a really pretty smile. She walked quickly to her target without looking around. She was definitely fast, Fuji was impressed. And Fuji, being the person that he was, quickly went to the same spot tease the poor girl._

"_Do you hate me?" She asked the manga with a seriously sad face._ _He couldn't _not _chuckle. He watched her amusingly as she had come to the realization that the manga didn't hate her._

_ Soon enough, she asked him who he was and even when he couldn't see her eyes, he knew that she was glaring at him. The girl had an unusually strong yet comforting presence. He wouldn't forget about her anytime soon, he knew. So he wanted _her_ to remember him._

"_I'm not a boy." He told her, she had an adorable reaction. While she was still dumbstruck, he quickly went for the counter. Along the short way there, for the first time in his life, he doubted his motives. Would he go as far as spending quite a bit of yen to tease a girl he met only 2 minutes prior? Just _what_ did he hope to achieve?  
><em>

"_That'll be 1000 yen, Miss." A woman's voice said. He quickly returned to his senses when he realized that the 'Miss' was that girl with the opaque glasses. She was holding the manga (now on a paper bag) that was in his hand just a moment ago._

_And before he knew it she was out the door, turned to look at him through the transparent glass of the door, and smirked._

_..._

SOMEWHERE IN TOKYO

Reina was walking home for a while now. She didn't want to look at her watch since it'll only stress her out. Experience taught her that knowing the time would not help with her cursed sense of direction.

As she was walking and looking for familiar places, the humidity of the air changed. The smell…

_'It's going to rain.' _She predicted. Her brother, being a meteorology student, taught her some stuff.

She started walking faster, looking more carefully for familiar spots. She hoped to be home before it rained, but no such luck. Not long after, she felt droplets of water in her skin. She knew that getting wet in the rain nowadays was _way _unhealthier than during her brother's childhood.

She quickly opened the umbrella she randomly picked up. But when she opened it her eyes widened in despair, _again_. Most of the stretchers were beyond repair and a hole the size of her palm covered an area near the center. She groaned and then cursed her father_. _He was the only one in the house idiotic enough to bring this much damage. She growled internally._  
><em>

_'Baka Oyaji! I will soooo make sure too show Mom his secret stash (of you-know-what) I just found.' __  
><em>

She looked at her new bought manga. _'Well, at least I still have you…' _she smiled and then it hit her.

_It doesn't have the plastic cover anymore!_

She walked even faster, trying to cover the package with her head. Unfortunately, all too soon, the rain got heavier. _'My manga!' _She uncharacteristically cried in despair. The _third _friggin' time today… must be a new record or something.

She was now running, desperately looking for a shelter. She couldn't find one… not until one found _her..._

She looked up. It was blue. The umbrella was blue. It was held a person with an eerily familiar face.

"Hello, there. Long time no see." He smiled at his sarcastic comment.

"You…" Reina glared at the person. "What are _you _doing here?"

"I should ask you the same question." The person asked.

Her glare turned to a sad frown. "I'm looking for a shade." She answered and lifted her now-wet manga to his face.

"Oh." The girl expressed emphatically. "I know a good shade, and it's only a few steps away."

"W-What do you mean?" She looked around her. "I don't see anything."

"Ah… See that?" The person said keeping his smile and pointed to the house behind her. She reflexively turned around.

"That's my house."

_Silence_

"Where _is _your house, exactly?" She asked, he told her an unfamiliar street name. She just stared, effectively telling the girl/boy that she had no idea where she was. She/He chuckled, and Reina immediately glared at her/him. The androgynous person, being _relatively_ immune to her glares, just smiled.

"Would you like to go inside?"

"I can't. My parents are expecting me to be home by lunch time."

She/He pondered for a second. "Ah… But isn't it already 11:45am?"

Reina's eyes widened at the revelation. _"Oh crap."  
><em>

The boy/girl smiled and she narrowed her eyes. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. I just thought of something really nice of me to think of."

**...**

"You don't have to do this. I don't want to be a bother..." Reina asked a bit guiltily at the guy who introduced himself/herself as Fuji Syusuke. After putting his/her grocery bags inside the house, he/she offered to take her home, seeing her umbrella looked like it was played with by a bear. It was still pouring, so Reina reluctantly agreed.

"Maa.. It's fine. You could say I feel a bit bad about lying to you about me getting my hands on your manga first."

"No surprise there." She smirked. "But, aren't you hungry? It's lunch time already."

"I already ate a huge taco on the way home so I'm not really that hungry." He replied patting his stomach to make his point.

"I'll let you borrow my manga after I read it, then. You know, as payback." Fuji blinked. After years of lying, he became good at it and even became immune to the guilt that accompanied it. _So why did he feel so bad about lying to _her_? _He internally shook his head of the disturbing thoughts.

"I'm flattered, but I never really read the manga before. I just thought it'd be fun to make fun of you." He said trying to sound as playful as his usual teasing self.

She just stared at him blankly and asked if there's something _else _he was lying about… like his real gender. Fuji blinked again. He totally forgot that he said that. _'Why was I lying that time again?' _He asked himself trying to think of a good reply.

"I'm actually male." He stated making sure he still had his usual facade on.

"I knew it!" She exclaimed as if she had a bet with herself. He smiled.

"So, I'm a bit curious as to what you were doing during all those hours and how you ended up in front of my house." He blurted out out-of-nowhere.

"I got lost." She said bluntly. He chuckled. Reina stared for an uncomfortably long minute.

"What?" He asked a bit confused and somewhat intimidated at the girl's stare, which was _really _odd since he couldn't even see her eyes. To be intimidated by eyes you couldn't see was, well, disconcerting.

"It's nothing big, really." She said coolly. "I was just wondering why you put on that fake smile all the time when you had such a nice real one."

He turned away slight, fairly sure how his cheeks was on-fire. "How r-rude. I do _not _have a fake smile." He denied as composed himself as quickly as he could, even when he knew that what she was saying was true. His fake smile returned, and Reina sighed sadly. They remained quiet for a few minutes after that.

The silence was broken when they encountered a ruff-looking guy with a green bandanna, jogging in the rain. The guy stopped after seeing Fuji and bowed for a moment and mumbled "G-Good afternoon, Senpai…" before looking at her. Then he stared at Fuji again, then it slowly found its way back to her. He blushed, obviously assuming something wrong. Fuji flinched for a mini-second.

"Ne. Kaidoh, if you keep wasting your training time staring at us I'm going to ask Inui to give you his latest drink." He said with a disturbing smirk on his face. Kaidoh shivered as he heard the words 'Inui' and 'juice' in the same sentence. He quickly said goodbye and hurriedly continued his jogging, visibly shaken by Fuji's words.

"Inui's juice…? Who's Inui? And what's so scary about his juice?" Reina asked, curious.

Fuji replied, still maintaining his usual facade, "Inui's juice is healthy for you, I personally like it's taste. But for some reason most people faint after taking a sip…" He grinned evilly. "Ah, and Inui is my partner in sadism at our school."

"Partner in sadism?" She asked looking a bit perplexed. Fuji raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I'm a sadist." He stated.

Reina's eyebrows met almost immediately. "You're a sadist?" She asked... in a way that surprised Fuji getting him open his eyes completely.

'_What is _with_ this girl?' _he questioned internally_. _What Reina said was not unusual. It was the _tone _of her voice that was. It brusquely stated: _You're a sadist? No, you're not." _

He stopped in his tracks. Reina noticed when she felt raindrops on her skin; she quickly walked backwards til' she reached the cover of the umbrella. She turned around and was supposed to ask why he stopped when she saw him just staring at her with eyes wide open.

"You sound like you don't believe me." He muttered as he stared through her glasses in an attempt to get through to her eyes. Reina stood there frozen at the sight of Fuji's beautiful cerulean eyes.

_'How beautiful…So many different emotions I can se-' _

"E-Echizen-san. What makes you think I'm not a sadist?" He barely managed to utter. He was dumbstruck, to say the least. This girl who he just met a few hours prior just told him what he wanted to hear- ever since his change all those years ago… since the time his brother started hating him.

"You don't smell like one…" She mumbled as she continued to stare at his eyes, slightly blushing.

Fuji suddenly felt shy of her gaze and immediately closed his eyes. _'Why am I the one getting shy? Isn't it _always _the other way around?' _he asked himself in a worried and confused voice.

"Smell?"

"Yeah, it's a way I have for describing people…"

"You seem confident in your judgment." He spat, trying to sound as if he's mocking her.

"I am. I was never wrong, you know. Besides, I got another proof that you're lying on being a sadist just now, too." She declared.

"W-what..?" He somehow reluctantly asked.

"Your eyes… They're too pretty to be the eyes of a sadist." She stated (as a matter-of-factly) and looked right into his eyes again as if requesting for his eyelids to open completely one more time. He just stood there like a stone for a while, and then started walking once he could manage to do so. Reina went after him.

"You're gonna be late. Your parents are going to worry. Let's just hurry." He muttered under his breath as he bowed his head while he was walking. He was walking in such a hurry that Reina had to concentrate on following him.

She didn't notice the deep red shade of red pasted on Fuji's face.

* * *

><p><span>ECHIZEN RESIDENCE<span>

"You live in a temple?" He asked with a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"What are you being so skeptical about?" She asked, offended.

"Nothing."

"Come in." She gestured as she stood in front of the doorway. He hesitated for a bit, but seeing Reina look at him he suddenly felt like going inside. And upon entering, they immediately heard frantic footsteps.

"REINA! You're an hour late! I was ssoo worried! And don't 'I got lost' me, young lady! You know that you should always a lot at least 2 hours before the agreed time! Your father and brother are in the police station arranging a search party, you kn—" Echizen Rinko suddenly stopped her shouting when she saw someone else besides her Reina on the doorway.

She just stared at them for a while and excused herself. They were walking in the hallway when they heard Rinko talking with someone via phone. With their enhanced hearing they managed to hear her words.

Rinko frowned at the incoherence of her husband's brain. "Yes dear, you should go back now... Tell them to stop then, I _told _you she's already here!" then a sudden evil smirk crept up her face. "And she's with a _boy_."

_Sil- _"_NANIIIIIIII?_" The person on the other side shouted so loud that even the kids could hear. The two revealed themselves and went closer to her when all-of-a-sudden the door slammed open. Two pairs of heavy stomps went to their direction.

Fuji felt a sudden chill behind his back.

"WHO ARE YOU!" A handsome young-man looking more or less 20 years old shouted as he pointed 'the' finger on the stranger who had his back on them at the moment.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU _DOING _WITH MY DAUGHTER?" An older not-so-good-looking man in a monk outfit cried.

And then both of them started muttering and shouting and crying incoherent sentences as they went closer and closer to the poor boy cornering him on the wall when a pair of knuckles hit each of them in the head.

"Urusai! What are you doing here so quickly anyway? Weren't you in the police station just a minute ago?" Rinko shouted. They had an even more dramatic reaction than she anticipated. '_Did they teleport or something?'_She muttered angrily to herself. She told them Reina's with a boy so they would hurry home, but she thought she'd have some time to talk with them first. She sighed and looked at her daughter.

"So...Start talking."

**...**

They all ate lunch together as Reina explained to them what happened. A bit of relief came to her over-protective father and brother. She was much too young to have a boyfriend, after all.

"_Meow…_" A sound Reina adored was suddenly heard in the dining room.

"Ah, Karupin was really worried about you too. I think he went outside to look for you." Reina, touched by her pet's love, immediately stood up to go get the now wet-because-of-the-rain feline.

For some reason, Fuji swiftly stood up at the sight of Reina as she entered with her soaking cat. "Diego!" He shouted, startling everyone around him. He then noticed the spectacle he made, quickly sat down, and muttered an apology.

"Fuj-?" She was about to ask him what happened when Karupin suddenly jumped from her to the table and then to Fuji.

The feline licked him in the face and hugged him as much as a cat could hug. Reina felt annoyed at her precious cat's intimacy with a person who called him by a different name.

Fuji saw her expression and chuckled. "Gomen, Echizen. It's just that I knew this cat from before."

"Really?" She asked skeptically, it's been 6 years since she got her cat and he was in the states the whole time.

He nodded "I was his owner."

The Echizens just stared at him.

"Before we lived in our house here in Tokyo, we lived in an apartment. Pets weren't allowed there." He said as he petted Karupin.

They stared again, telling him to go on.

"He was a stray and I wanted to adopt him. But since I'm not allowed to I found him an abandoned place near our apartment to stay. I visit him every so often." Karupin meowed happily. "But then a transfer student found out about it and he decided to buy it. He moved back to wherever he lived in after a month, so I never got to know what happened to him after that."

He chuckled and looked at the family around him.

"It seems like he found a good home."

**...**

"Are you sure?" She asked him (with great relief) if he really didn't want to take Karupin (or Diego) back with him since they no longer live in an apartment. They were now outside the door, and Reina was seeing him out.

"He loves you more than he will ever love me." Fuji stated looking at Reina with knowing eyes. "He's happy here. And I'm happy for him." He patted Diego's, who was in Reina's arms, head. Then, he saw a small bad-aid on her left palm.

"You were injured? I didn't notice–" He said with guilt in his voice.

"Of course you didn't. I hid it pretty well. I'd be annoyed if you did. Which is what I'm feeling now…" She replied and he laughed. He abruptly took her left hand. He lifted it up to the level of his chest and gently stripped the band-aid away. He saw claw-marks, and his gaze softened even more.

_'Diego did this.'_ He concluded. He understood how much Diego loved his mistress, and how bad he must have felt for doing this… His mind automatically went to look for a solution to the problem, and something came.

No, it was not a solution. But an impulse. His body moved on it's own, slightly to his chagrin.

For without thinking- he kissed her palm.

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER IV**

**NEXT:  
>CHAPTER V: First day of School<strong>

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>AN: **For those who haven't deduced it already, Karupin in his dream is a metaphor of Fuji.

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS SECTION <strong>

**Annanimaddict**- Thanks for the review! Glad you had that reaction, too. Hehehe~

**dJhAmystery **- Maah, I'll improve eventually... Hopefully… AH, Thanks for the list again! ^^

**RockPrincess410 **– Thanks~ I totally agree with you!

**Starian NightZz **Thanks so much for the tips! I'll definitely keep them in mind, and they should hopefully help me improve.

**Blue wolf luv red phoenix **– man, why do you have such a long name? Haha. I'm curious what it means. TELL ME! Haha. And Thanks for the review.^^

**ApatheticGamer- **You, my friend, _seriously _flatter me.

**..fangirl – **Yeah, I PM'd you already. Just feel like mentioning you here.

**Iris Butterfly – **Haha. What do you think of this guy?

**SenshiHg –** WAHAHAHHA! OMG, I didn't notice those phrases at _all_! Thanks for pointing it out as well as for the review, of course. :D

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><p>Thank you for reading. :D<em><br>_

Please pause before going anywhere and think about writing _something_ below or even checking those check-boxes! They would make me soooo happy.


	5. First Day of School I

I just thought all-of-a-sudden that some of you might wonder what is _with _me and _eyes_. The thing is, even if I am not a Hindu, I think their saying "The eyes are windows to the soul" is pretty cute. So, there. HAHA. **And a heart-felt Thank You to everyone who alerted, faved, and reviewed! **They all mean very much to me~**  
><strong>

My other fem! Ryoma fics may interest you also. ^^ I would love to read what you thought on them

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p><em>...<em>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER V: First day of school – The first half<strong>

ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD, a few minutes after midnight 

It was a cold Monday night in Tokyo and its inhabitants were already in deep, deep slumber.

Well, most of them anyway.

Inside a certain temple... a couple and one of their children, were all in the kitchen wearing serious expressions on their faces. They were looking at a box placed on the counter.

The mother of the household tapped her foot at the rate of 50 taps/s on the temple/house's wooden floor as she irritably pointed at the clothes inside the box. "I don't like this. I don't like this. _I don't like this_!"

"None of us do, except maybe Reina." Her husband stated as he nonchalantly closed his eyes and stretched his jaw. His jaw was numb from being 'unjustly' gagged and tied up along with his son (by Rinko), _and_ getting locked up in a closet for 3 miserable hours. Apparently, she caught them in their _deranged _states before they execute their 'harmless' plan on a certain honey-brown haired boy on his way home.

_-Flashback-_

"_Don't breathe damnit, Oyaji! Reina would sense you!" Ryoga vehemently whispered to his father who was positioned right next to him in their 'hiding spot'. They were trying to peek on the two figures talking in the doorway. His father's breathing was bloody noisy, and not to mention it smelled like dead rat._

_Their 'hiding spot' was uhh… just the corner of the temple/house. If one looked at their direction, even if they were hiding completely in the corner, you would still see their feet. They were approximately 9 meters away from the door, so at least they could hear the conversation clearly._

_The two watched the exchanges intently. And by the end they concluded that there wasn't much to worry about. But, when the two of them were going to leave for fear that _someone_ might catch them, the closed-eyed brat _suddenly_ took Reina's palm and _kissed _it. _

"_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Both of them screamed simultaneously. The two teens were taken aback by the sudden appearance of the two retards. They didn't recognize them immediately because of the noise they were making as well as the odd gestures that they were doing._

_One of them had his hands up at one moment then started pointing accusing fingers at the boy while the other one has both of his hands in his eyes muttering something as he crazily shook his head._

_It was the younger one who was still shaking his head in denial, and it seemed that he'll be doing so for a while. The older one, on the other hand, was the one who was pointing fingers and shouting frantically. "C'mon, Reina! W-Why don't you beat him up already! Just l-like the last one!" Reina just stared at them, not knowing what the heck he was talking about._

_ Her father, misunderstanding her silence, went closer to tears. _'My… My Reina… *sob*" _and he crouched to the ground and started mumbling sad, sad words. _

_Fuji 's eyebrows were initially really high above his head, due to various reasons, but then regained composure and smiled in understanding. He let go of Reina's hands and stated that he'll be going home. Reina nodded, waved goodbye, and went inside ignoring the two figures that was then lying on the dirt. But as soon as the door shut, the two instantly got up and went for their scheming-squatting-whispering position in a corner, right below a stand-alone statue in front of the house, letting its shadow envelope them. _

_For a few minutes they planned. One occasionally nodded as the other talked and vice versa._

"_So, do you still have the tranquilizer gun I gave you on your 16__th__ birthday?" Nanjiroh asked his son. The boy grinned sheepishly. "Of course, Oyaji. Who do you think I am? I've been maintaining it for 'situations' like this."_

_Soon enough, both of them start to chuckle evilly as they put the pieces together._

_But, they were so engrossed in their scheming that they didn't notice that someone with a pair of furious eyes and thick ropes in her hands was towering right beside them._

_-End of flashback-_

"_GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_ The two boys simultaneously screamed earning themselves new lumps in their heads.

"What the heck? You'll wake Reina up!" Rinko fumed.

The two men looked at each other wide eyed. Both of them seemed to have suddenly remembered the events simultaneously, and they were rather sure they didn't want it to happen again. They shivered for a moment and then looked at the cause of their sufferings. She was in a _really_ bad mood since the previous day and they really didn't want to stay in the danger zone any longer.

Nanjiroh quickly caught his composure and brought the conversation back to the original topic.

"We know that the way she is now, she's comfortable in either cross-dressing or wearing Megane-chan. _Besides, _her new school's girl's tennis team sucks so I'd arranged for her to join the boy's tennis team instead. She wouldn't want the team to be awkward because of her being a girl." he said in an acceptably calm tone of voice.

Rinko groaned irritated, making the two nervous. "It's sooo disappointing that she's back to _this_ again. A year ago, she agreed on dressing normal again after finding out _why_ her two most trusted best friends and brother left her for those years. Then, that BLASTED MANIAC just _had _to come to the picture." Evil aura came out at her mention of 'maniac'.

They shuddered in fear, yet thankful because the aura wasn't directed to _them _anymore.

"He was severely punished anyway, no use stressing over that issue." Ryoga smiled both in relief and at the recollection a past memory. Other than Reina's 'massacre', he and his father err… made sure that the maniac's ego won't go _that_ high again.

Well, actually the poor boy's self-esteem was crushed to the point that he was sobbing _"I want to be reborn as a termite." _after they were done with him. The two thought and laughed evilly to themselves at a sudden thought that passed by both of their heads.

_'Maybe that Fuji-brat will be next.'_

"I guess we'll wait for her to decide on her own, then, when she'll return to acting her gender…" Rinko sighed in defeat, bringing the idiots back to their senses.

Nanjiroh and Ryoga just nodded in agreement.

**...**

SEIGAKU MIDDLE SCHOOL, the next day

It was a bright and peaceful spring morning when Ryoma arrived at her new school. It was only 7:30am and practically no one was there yet... which was why it was peaceful in the first place.

"I'll be going then, kiddo!" Her brother shouted and she waved him goodbye. She was lucky that her brother's classes would start a week later than her's, that way he could take her to school every morning for a week until they find a certain arrangement to keep her from getting late. She took a deep breath and went closer to the gate. She noted the gardening there was pretty neat. In fact, she was rather preoccupied with the blooming cherry blossoms inside the brick fence that she did not notice the bronze plaque practically right in front of her:

'Seigaku middle school'.

Half-an-hour later, Reina was still walking around. She couldn't seem to find the gym where the opening ceremony was going to be held. It was followed by the orientation, too, and she needed all the 'orienting' that she could get.

She let out a deep breath. It was going to start in thirty minutes and she might not make it in time. She didn't really want to have supposedly avoidable attention to her because she was late, as well. She walked faster as she approached a corner and _almost _bumped into something big (this means things bigger than _her_, which were a lot of things). But thanks to her good reflexes, she managed to stop just when she was an inch away from the said bigger object. The object's and her eyes met for a second and both of them simultaneously took two steps back.

"I almost got into an accident because of your carelessness." She said arrogantly, visibly annoyed at the new obstacle to her destination. She looked at the object. It was a guy. He had jet-black hair, violet eyes, spiky hair, and bushy eyebrows.

'_Bushy eyebrows?_' she said to herself recalling the name she gave to one of Tezuka's teammate. For a moment she considered that maybe this guys _was '_Bushyeyebrows-kun' but then pushed it aside… it was too much of a coincidence to even dare hope.

'_What a cute kid.' _The guy with the bushy eyebrows, on the other side, mused for a second but quickly shook his head upon hearing the comment. "You know, gaki, if _maybe _you weren't walking so carelessly then it wouldn't have been a problem in the first place!"

"Don't you know the law Bushyeyebrows? The one in the straightway, namely _me_, has the right of way. Technically, you should be getting a fine right now." She replied stoically but it was obvious that she was mocking him, she was about to give him more insults but she managed to stop herself. By nagging herself.

'_GAH! Stop it Reina! You don't have time for this.' _She looked at the boy and recalled his utterly annoying insult._ 'He's going to pay for calling _her _LITTLE...' _She looked at her watch, flinched, and added an afterthought '…_later.'_

The teen pondered at what the kid said for an instant, but didn't know what he was talking about because he didn't have much knowledge about traffic laws. He attempted to counter the boy's know-it-all comment with something not particularly smart when he abruptly walked past him.

"Mada Mada dane, Bushyeyebrows-san." He muttered with his back to the teen.

"O-Oi!" he tried to halt the said little boy, but the said child just ignored him. He was walking _really _quick, to the point that it impressed him. He continued to follow the kid, determined to make an eventual comeback.

After a few minutes of following him, though, he finally noticed that the boy was just walking in _circles._

'_Why does he look like he's in such a hurry when he's going nowhere, anyway?'_ He asked himself, perplexed, as he continued to follow the kid who was, apparently, just walking anxiously around.

But soon enough, the stoic boy suddenly looked like he was going to panic. He tilted his head. _'He _was_ going somewhere, but then why didn't he look like he's going anywhere…?' _

Then, as if realizing something, he abruptly looked at the kid in incredulity. _'Could it be that he's LOST?' _His eyes twitched at the thought. _'No one gets lost like _this! _Right…?' _

But it was the only explanation at the child's actions.

"Until when are you going to follow me around, bushyeyebrows?"

He blinked and incoherently muttered "Uh- I…" then mentally punched himself. "Who are you calling 'Bushybrows'?" He exclaimed angrily as if he just realized he was being called such.

"I said '_Bushyeyebrows' _but 'Bushybrows' is definitely better. I'll keep that in mind." She said mockingly. His eyes twitched (again), and then a comeback suddenly came to him. He grinned.

"You sure are arrogant for someone who gets lost a lot." This time Reina's eyes jerked.

"_He called me LITTLE. And NOW he's insulting MY sense of direction?' _She angrily exclaimed to herself as if those things weren't true.

"Ne, Bushybrows" She called him as her eyes continued to jerk involuntarily. "Not only are your eyebrows thick. It seems like your skull _and _your face are, too. Don't you have anything better to do than following _me_, an innocent bystander of your stupidity, around and making some lame comments?"

Bushybrows turned red in annoyance. "For your information, _kiddo,_ I _do _have things to do in my club til' 10am because earlier classes are suspended because of the entrance ceremony." He cleared his throat. "It's just that my _manly_ pride won't take your insul-" his little speech was stopped when he (finally) realized that he wasn't talking to anyone anymore.

He looked around. The kid started walking around again. Then Bushybrows being dense as he was, only noticed that the haughty kid was actually wearing a uniform similar to his.

"Hey, Gaki! Are you a freshman?" he shouted at the kid about 20 meters away from him.

"Who the heck are you calling _little _baka-brows?" The boy shouted back. The teen was annoyed with the kid making yet_ another _nickname for him. He was tempted to leave the boy alone, but he's quite dutiful (in his standards) so he couldn't just let his new Kouhai go get lost when he's supposed to be in the ceremony.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the entrance ceremony? It's starting in 5 minutes!"

That made her freeze. "I'm going there _now_!"

"But you're not anywhere _near_ the gym!"

"URUSAI! Baka-brows. Just tell me where the gym is!" She shouted making him almost lose his footing.

"D-Don't tell me _that_'s where you were trying to go to since we met? That's unbe- Pfft-! BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAH! *cough* SAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHA! *cough* GAHIHIHIHIHIHIHI!_"_He thought that the kid must be cursed or something. Then, after seeing the kid was gesturing to go and leave him to talk to himself again- he suddenly felt bad. The boy was rushing to the ceremony and he was there not only refusing to help the lost boy but was also serving as an obstacle.

"Follow me." He said sounding as dependable and calm as he could. Ryoma raised an eyebrow.

"Why should I?" She asked skeptically at the boy who was pretty much hysterical just a few seconds back.

"Then don't if you want to be late." Baka-brows shot back.

"Che." was the only way she could reply, being pretty much in a state of panic. But then an image of her entering when the ceremony had already started passed by her head.

She did not want to have a flashy entrance. Doing that will result to the earlier birth of an unwanted could only let out a sigh of defeat.

"Fine."

He grinned sheepishly. "I thought so."

As they walked, baka-brows started to talk. "My name is Momoshiro Takeshi, kid. I'm your senpai. Call me Momo_chan_-senpai."

"What's with the odd placement of 'chan'?" She asked pretty much forgiving him for his earlier misdoings. He was helping her out now and she never really thought that he was a bad guy in the first place. An idiot, yes, but he was definitely a good person. He even conveniently reminded her of Ryoga.

"I just thought it was cute." He said proudly, as if men liked to be called 'cute'.

"So… what's _your_ name, kid?" he asked, and stopped right by the gym's door.

"Echizen Ryoma." The kid stated. Momoshiro winced and pondered. _'Sounds familiar... Mah! I'll find out eventuall-'_

"I'd be going in now, then." She gestured waiting for him to follow her, but instead he waved and started to walk away. Ryoma batted an eyelid.

"Aren't you going in? Aren't upperclassmen supposed to be attending the ceremony, too?"

"Ah. In here, it's optional to attend the ceremony." He grinned. "It seems that the principal, back in his schooldays, disliked the mandatory attendance of upperclassmen in the freshmen opening ceremony… so he changed the rules once he got to power. I really liked the old man for that, frankly."

"The only old students who usually attend are the ones with friends and/or relatives among the freshmen. Besides, like I said before, I still have to do some club activities." then he chuckled confidently out-of-nowhere.

"I am a regular at our tennis team, after all." He bragged.

"Is the tennis team here good?" She asked, curious. Her father wanted her to go here because it had a good tennis club, but she didn't really know how true it was.

Momoshiro cringed at the apparently blasphemous question. "Y-You don't know that this _magnificent_ school is the _number one_ school in our prefecture? We have a number of _National-level_ players a-as well!" He exclaimed, obviously baffled by the kid.

Ryoma just stared at him to make his point.

"_N-NANII!_?" He shouted making Ryoma's sensitive ear ring for a whole minute. "How can you _not _know the Seigaku tennis club?"

"_URUSAI_, LIZARD-KILLER!" She yelled back, although in a much more stoic tone and volume, as she tried to massage her ears. Then her eyes widened. _'Did he just say Seigaku?'_

"Did you just say Seigaku?" She repeated.

He grinned. "I knew you must have heard the name bef- Wait. Why do you sound like this is the _first_ time you've heard the school you are _entering_?" Then he remembered _'Lizard-killer?'._

Ryoma just stared at him again, this time because she was incredulous at her own... obliviousness. _'So THAT's why the school sounded so familiar when Tezuka-san said it.' _She smiled. She was going to the same school as Tezuka!

'_Isn't he the captain?' _She scrutinized the boy who was still looking rather disbelieving at the kid's antics. '_If this guy's a regular then he must be good, after all…But…'_

"Your captain allows you top play with your ankle like that?" She asked with her eyebrows closing in. "He should know that it needs some rest." She lectured stoically. Of course, she was aware that Tezuka probably knew about the injury and probably ordered the idiot to rest, but it seemed like bushybrows was a stubborn one.

Momoshiro was taken aback. "S-Since when did you notice?" he asked along with a mental afterthought _'and why_ _Lizard-killer?'_

"Since the time I met you, I just couldn't care any less back then because you were annoying me to no end. But now, you are pretty much tarnishing Tezuka-san's name by not following his orders."

Momoshiro's eyes widened, absolutely surprised. "You know Tezuka-san but you don't know the school you were entering? And not to mention you have a _disturbing_ case of getting-lost-a-lot."

Ryoma frowned deeply at the last line. "You _idiot_. What's the last line doing there, anyway? You can't even formulate correct sentences."

A vein appeared on his already hot head. "Okay Little Mr. Smarty pants. Why do you not know the name of the school you're entering, then?"

Ryoma flinched (again, darned Lizard); she did _not _want to answer that (and he even called her little again!).

She pondered as she rummaged for memories, and a good one popped out. The probable reason she didn't know was the fact that the _one_ time her father mentioned the school's name, she was watching television. That and Reina being Reina, she just wasn't curious enough to ask.

"You're making me late." She just replied and started walking to the door.

He cleared his throat. "Then I shall take my leave, then. But you're pretty observant, aren't you? I was hiding it rather well, you know." He said as a compliment, he thought might as well have a good final impression at a Kouhai.

"Not really." She replied apathetically, and then smirked as she entered the gym.

"You're just not good at hiding it." She sardonically pointed out. Momo's eyes twitched.

"TEME-"

And she closed the door.

**...**

She liked to make fun of Momo so much. He reminds her way too much of her brother, except for his spiky hair that could kill lizards falling from the ceiling. She just chuckled internally at the sight of his final expression. But her fun was abruptly put on halt as she turned around.

Everyone was already line up, staring at her, and she mentally cursed Momoshiro. _'Oh crap. I'm already late. Curse that lizard-killer.' _

She mentally slapped herself and walked towards her section as she recited_ '1-A, 1-A, 1-A.' _as if they're going to come to _her_.

As she looked for her section the crowd seemed to have recovered from some sort of shock. Then murmurs, whispers, gasps, and squeals pretty much exploded in the Gym. Her sweat dropped looking appalled at the sudden reactions. She would love to glare them off, but there was too many of them. So she decided to save her energy and she just decided to tune all the noise out.

Soon enough, she found the line with a teacher holding the card '1-A'. The teacher smiled amused at her and stepped aside for a moment to let her in the line.

Her homeroom teacher, Takeda Maya, was pretty for someone in her late 30s, she was a sweet and kind educator whom all of her students, past and present, adore.

Takeda smiled at the sight of her student. _'So cuuute~! She didn't look like her ugly perverted father _at all_!'_ All of Reina's teachers and the medical staff were informed of her situation for convenience. Although, upon hearing her name Takeda was the one who was at first against her cross-dressing. Even if there were no official rules regarding the subject, tradition was tradition.

_'That's just like Nanjiroh! That bastard has no concept of civilization!" _She even thought angrily at that time.

She was forced to keep it a secret upon hearing the child's reasons, but it really didn't help cool her down. The sight of the girl herself did. Rinko was pretty, but Reina really has such an angelic face that you didn't know how she got it.

"Sensei." The girl said, looking at her. "Echizen Ryoma." She said to ensure she was on the right class. Takeda only smirked.

"Welcome to the school, kid."

**...**

"That's all for our entrance ceremony, dear students. As a reminder for those who were late *cough* and had yet to get their respective schedules from the administration please proceed to the office in the _second_ floor of the main building. For most of you who already have their schedules please stay on your line and wait for your homeroom teachers to lead you to your room where the class orientation will be held in half an hour." The principal announced at the end of the program. Ryoma looked at her watch, it said 9:30am.

The principal said that the admission's office was located in the main building's second floor. And knowing that she'll probably get lost again she hurried to go and look for her future destination.

*1 hour and 20 minutes later*

She sighed in relief as she _finally_ arrived at the office door. Sure, it took her over an hour but that's because the school was _huge. _She noted that the Administration's room definitely had a different feel to it. It had a beautifully designed brown door that stood out among all the plain green sliding ones. There was a huge wooden plaque that said 'Admissions office', too.

Making it all the more embarrassing that she didn't find it immediately.

She took a breath and opened the door.

A cool breeze of air from the air conditioning gently hit her face, and she surveyed around. There were only a few people in the nicely decorated and air-conditioned room. One of the people there was an old kind-looking woman who immediately stared at her as she entered the room.

"Ah, Ms. Echizen." She smiled then looked at Ryoma from head to toe. "I wonder how much cuter you'll look on our girl's uniform." The woman commented out of the blue with a grin that made Ryoma shiver.

Ryoma couldn't say anything. She saw how _hideous_ the uniform looked and she knew would _never_ EVER want to wear it.

"You're _very _late for the orientation, you know." The old woman abruptly said in a lecturing tone. Ryoma stoically just stared at the old woman, wondering what would happen to her. The old woman sighed.

"I'm not going to do anything bad to you." Ryoma cringed. Did she just read her mind?

"Just ask your classmates for what was discussed. Make sure you get to your homeroom by orientation's second-half." Then, the woman stood up and gave her her schedule. "If it didn't make things so complicated, we would've put you with the 3rd years. But P.E. and HomeEc _had_ to be taken with your fellow freshmen, so we didn't know where that would put you after this school year."

"So we just decided to take advantage of your test scores by entering you as an official student-teacher. It's a job here given to students who had shown great intellect in certain subjects. We'd give you a good allowance and other benefits, of course."

Ryoma was intrigued by the words 'allowance' and 'benefits'. Especially by the _allowance_ part, of course.

"The allowance is sort of like a salary… while the benefits are a sort of payment from you to us."

"Huh?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. The last time she checked, 'benefits' and 'payments' _weren't_ synonyms.

"You _do _know not all of us agree with your cross-dressing. This is Japan, after all. Even if they aren't written tradition is tradition."

"Ah." Ryoma just muttered in understanding. In other words, the tutoring was like a condition for the staff to keep their mouths shut. She shrugged.

"Fine."

**...**

She scratched her head at the sensation of leaving a fully air-conditioned room. She stared at her left, then to her right, and went to her homeroom.

Well, at least that what she _tried_ to do.

She knew that the 1st year's rooms were located in the first floors, the second years on the 3rd floor, and the seniors on the highest floor. Several minutes of walking later though, she stopped in front of a random room and looked at the wooden board on top of each door- indicating the section occupying it.

It said '2-B'. Ryoma blinked.

"Huh?"

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER V**

_**Coming soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER VI: First day of school – The second half**

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS SECTION<strong>

**Twinklefeather, MintLeafeon, and senshiHg**- Ah... Only Fuji and Tezuka will fall for her in Seigaku... (for Senshi) Both Eiji and Karupin are both cats, but Karupin in this has a personality similar to Fuji.

**silverharpie17** - Aw, thanks. Too bad this chapter has no romance, hope you weren't too disappointing with this chap^^

**Annanimeaddict** - Haha. Depends on how the story goes, really. Hehe

**dJhAmystery** - Aw.. Thanks, I don't know if I could keep it up, though! Haha

**lovelyanimeangel** - Thanks~!

**emliy02** - Thanks, and yes... she was wearing her glasses the whole time with Tezuka and Fuji.

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading<strong>

**It would be so nice of you if you let me know what you thought...  
><strong>


	6. First Day of School II

I'd like to thank all who's reviewed so far, as well as everyone who added me and my stories to their favorites and/or alert list. Also, if you have facebook accounts, please like the **Prince of Tennis Fanfiction**

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER VI: First day of school – The Second Half<strong>

THIRD FLOOR CORRIDOR

_RIIIIIIIIIINNNG!_

It's the sound that was heard precisely at twelve noon.

'_Wait. WHAT? It's already lunch time?' _Reina thought in disbelief as she continued to stare at the wood with '2-B' embedded on it. She was doing so since she got there, too shocked at the fact that she was on the 3rd floor when she was _aiming _to go to the 1st.

Her thoughts those times varied from _'This must be some sort of miracle' to 'When I buy a house I'll make sure it's a bungalow'._

As she stood there looking stoic but frozen, the door slid. The sound of a human snake woke her up from her daze.

"_Fssssssssssssshhhhhhh_" The human snake said, making Ryoma stare at him. It took a moment for the human's face to sink in. The human snake was tall, had jet black hair, and had a very _unsettling_ stare.

'_He looks awfully familiar… It feels like I've seen him not long ago…'_

"_Fssssssssssssshhhhhhh_" He said again, now glaring at the little kid in front of him.

"EEK!" some random guy behind the human snake squealed in fear for the small boy in front of their classroom door.

Ryoma just stared back. The human snake's eyes twitched, intimidated. But human snakes have_ pride_!

So soon enough, it became a glaring contest.

**...**

Ten minutes later, they started to sweat. One of their eyes jerked from time to time and they started thinking curse words directed at their opponent, hoping like _hell_ that cursing could kill.

They gathered quite an audience by that time, and everyone was quiet. There was a tense atmosphere surrounding that certain segment of the corridor. No one was talking, all of them barely breathing.

Until they heard a rather… embarrassing sound simultaneously coming from the two's stomachs.

_GRRROOOOWWL! _

Both of them blinked in surprise.

"PFft-!" and they couldn't help but chuckle at the timing of their greedy stomachs. But, even with the contest ending, the audience remained silent albeit for a different reason altogether. Everyone gulped at the sight.

Kaidoh Kaoru _never _smiled… let alone _CHUCKLE! _

That… and the brave kid simply looked even more_ adorable_ when he smiled. Several thoughts scattered in the air across the corridor.

'_USOOO! Kaidoh could actually smile!'_

'_That kid is so _freaking_ CUTE!'_

'_An angel came down from heaven! Kaidoh laughs! OMG! OMG! It's going to be the end of the world! OMG! I'm not ready yet!'_

'_I DON'T WANT TO _DIE!'

As if hearing those thoughts Kaidoh frowned and glowered at everyone. "Is there something to see here? SCRAM!" he growled making the audience squeak instantaneously. He cursed and swiftly walked away.

Ryoma smirked, amused at what just happened. She looked up on the ceiling for a moment in remembrance of a certain memory just a few days ago. '_Tezuka's descriptions were dead-on… and the way his eyes move when as he was telling me about them… '_

'_Considering how indifferent Tezuka-san looked…I bet his friends have no idea just how much he cares for them.'_

She smiled at the thought.

But when she tilted her head back to level, she realized she was surrounded. A number of people even started talking at the same time.

"SUGOIII!" A random male voice shouted.

"You are So KEWL!" A high-pitched voice of a girl complimented.

"YOU ARE SO CUTEEEE~!" Another girl squealed.

"Kawai…" A demure female voice muttered.

"Are you an angel?" A guy (who didn't seem to be straight) asked.

"I LOVE YOU!" A crazy looking girl screamed.

'_Che. How annoying.' _she mentally cursed (and flinched, a bit freaked-out by a certain girl) although everyone could only see her sweat drop. She decided to glare them off, no longer caring that they were senpais, and so... she closed her eyes for a second and gave them her most intimidating glare.

Everyone backed off- although only by a few steps. She took advantage of their stunned states and quickly walked away.

But, before they could get out of her earshot, one of the girls shouted:

"I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE!"

She could only feel herself turn blue.

**...**

Ryoma walked faster for fear that her new crazy fan girls were still following her. But a wall suddenly appeared.

She stopped immediately, saving herself from getting a dented nose. She looked up at the wall. It had eyes. She narrowed her eyes and started insulting it.

"You sure are having fun being an _ugly _obstacle, Bushybrows-senpai."

He grinned. "I sure thought you won't be able to stop this time. HAHA. Considering how _blue _you looked."

She reflexively turned around at the comment to see if anyone was following. A shadow… She saw it go to the vending machine she just passed. Then, as if checking if the coast was clear, the crazy girl's head titled for her to see.

She felt chills run down her spine.

"Ne, Momochan-senpai. Take me to the canteen _now..._please" She requested appearing as calm as she could in that situation, and Momo startled at the boy's sudden change in attitude obliged immediately.

**...**

CANTEEN

"Why the canteen, though? I see you have a bento." He asked as they near their destination while pointing on the cloth she was holding to make his point. "You can eat with us, the regulars, in the rooftop. You know Tezuka-buchou anyway, right?"

'_Yes, I do. But in this get-up I doubt he would know _me._' _She thought sadly. No one could recognize that Reina with the glasses and Ryoma with the cap are one and the same.

So she closed her eyes before replying, a habit of hers before she lied. "I don't know him personally. He's famous you know."

Momo nodded. "Very. Hm… I guess I assumed you know him personally since you're _too haughty_ to seem to actually _have_ an idol." He said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Che." Is all she could reply. It _was_ true, after all.

A few steps later, she stopped in front of the huge door of the canteen and answered his inquisitive stare.

"I'm looking for someone. She's probably in here right now…" She said as she looked at the large room packed with tables, people, and _food. _

Momo grinned at the word 'she' in a way that freaked Ryoma out. "Yare Yare…" he teased as he smirked.

"You look like _The Joker_ from _Batman_." She said as her eyes twitch.

"H-HOW RUDE!" He shouted effectively getting everyone to notice them. A vein appeared on Ryoma's head. "_BAKA!" _She muttered vehemently at her idiotic senpai.

All eyes were on them now. She could swear she could see hearts and stars on most of them.

_'Shikuso…' _She glared at Momo making him want to run for his life. Well, he was about to when he suddenly heard a shy little voice calling his Kouhai's name.

"Ryoma-kun…?" a small girl with brown braided hair asked. Another brunette beside her twinkled as she looked at his Kouhai. "Ryoma-kun, you weren't in class earlier." Ryoma blinked.

"We're classmates?"

Apparently, she didn't notice that Sakuno was standing just 2 people away from her because she was too preoccupied tuning out the stares and whispers during her time at the Gym.

"Yes. And like I said… Takeda-sensei's not too happy." Sakuno muttered.

"I got lost." Ryoma replied lazily.

"_Again?" _

"Oh, _please_ Sakuno. You're the one to talk. Sometimes I think I get lost because we're so close." She shrugged. The other ponytailed brunette, who was blushing fiercely, went a step closer and Sakuno introduced her as Tomoka.

'_He sure is popular…' _Momo thought grimly before his eyes widened as he recalled an earlier conversation.

He grinned maniacally again. "_Ryoma-kun. _Why don't you introduce me to your _girlfriend_…?"

Ryoma frowned and was about to deny his allegations and insult him when a light bulb appeared above her head. She smirked sending shivers on _Sakuno's _spine.

The brunette jerked.

'_I have a _bad_ feeling about this-' _

Ryoma put her let hand on the farther of Sakuno's shoulder and brought her closer to her, consequently arousing _a lot_ of gasps. "You're right Momochan-senpai. This is Ryuzaki Sakuno. _She has a very scary grandmother. _And we've been dating since I got here from the states."

"Ryuzaki…?" Momo blinked. "How are you related to our coach?" He asked a bit incredulous.

"She's my grandmother." She stated, making Momo and a few others wince. Ryuzaki Sumire was known for her strict… and _scary_ demeanor.

Ryoma tilted her head. '_Coach?' _She mused before looking around... and inwardly smiling in satisfaction.

'_Perfect.'_

**...**

"Geez, Rei- Ryoma!" she whispered vehemently at her friend as they walked to their classroom.

"Did you see how those people _looked _at me? It hasn't even been a day and I already have crazy fan girls." Yeah, usually the fan girls evolve to crazy ones when they see her play tennis.

"I know you having 'admirers' everywhere you go is a natural phenomenon… but how could you actually drag me into this?"

"I thought you were my friend…" Ryoma said with a phony sad voice but still making Sakuno guilty.

Ryoma sighed. "I'm kidding, Sakuno. Besides, they barely knew me to get that 'possessive' attitude fan girls have. I also emphasized about your scary grandmother and her connection to the oh-so-popular tennis team.

"And finally, you have _her _as a friend." She stated pointing at the gloomy figure walking a few steps behind them, oblivious to what they were saying. She could tell that even if this girl became one of her fans, she would choose her friend over anything… and thus guaranteeing another protection for Sakuno from possible bullies.

Sakuno just sighed understanding of what Ryoma was trying to say. She already knew she wouldn't get bullied. What she was worrying about was-

"Or… have you already set your eyes on someone?" Ryoma teased. Sakuno blushed.

"NO! Not yet, anyway." She muttered. Ryoma smirked.

"Then just tell me if you had and I'll break-up with you." Sakuno cringed at her friend's overtly blunt statement. "…so long as you tell me who the lucky guy is first." Ryoma said.

It's not that she didn't trust her friend's judgment in people, but better be safe than sorry. Sakuno didn't really have much of a choice...

"Fine."

**...**

"Well, nice of you to finally join us Echizen Ryoma-san." Takeda Maya sarcastically commented as she looked at the now-occupied seat at the back right next to the window. Everyone stared at the figure being targeted by their teacher's scorn.

Takeda Maya liked the little girl, but she hated tardiness the most. So she decided to momentarily hate the girl until she decided to be punctual.

"Gomen, Sensei. I got lost." The girl said stoically but Maya couldn't help but squeal internally.

_Poof!_ All the hatred disappeared just like that. But, of course, as to avoid showing her favoritism she decided to punish the girl anyway.

"As punishment for your tardiness, I'd like you to be the one to clean and organize the classroom every morning for a week."

TENNIS COURTS, after classes

"Here we are." Sakuno stated as they caught sights of the tennis courts. "But… like I said. Grandma and the regulars aren't here this afternoon because they have a practice game somewhere."

"It's fine." Ryoma shrugged. Sakuno knew her friend would stay there for a while. She wanted to accompany her, but her grandmother asked her to do some errands before she returned home for dinner.

"Well, then. Don't get lost!" Sakuno said as a goodbye, and ran away so that she couldn't make some snide counter-comment. As if the other girl didn't get lost a lot _herself_.

Meanwhile, as Sakuno was heading to the gate, an older woman with hairstyle similar to the guy Reina called 'monkey face' came and approached her.

"Hello, there. My name is Shiba Saori, photographer of _Monthly Tennis. _Can I ask where the tennis courts are?"

She nodded and pointed to the direction she came from. "Just go there and then keep going to the left."

"Thanks!" Shiba smiled and waved at the brunette.

Sakuno smiled back innocently, soon to remember that she sort-of gave the wrong directions.

**...**

"Echizen Ryoma, right?" A small kid who _literally _looked like a chimpanzee approached Ryoma.

"Who are you?" She asked apathetically not even looking at him- she was too busy observing the players. _'They're all low-level players. I guess it's boring without the regulars…'_

The chimp, unaware of the other's disinterest, beamed and slapped his right hand to his chest proudly. "My name is Horio Satoshi. I have two years of tennis experience! _Yoroshiku_!"

Ryoma shrugged.

"Are you two here to register, as well?" a small kid asked them as he went closer to the two conversing freshman near the courts. He was with another boy. Both of them have circular heads albeit the other boy was taller and had semi-bald haircut.

"Hai." The chimp answered and the two boys frowned. "They said there is no registration today because the coach and the regulars are on a trip."

"EEEHHH?" Horio exclaimed so loudly that everyone in the nearest 2 courts could hear. "What a waste of time!"

It was then that they heard footsteps. Two tall(er) figures approached them and Ryoma narrowerd her eyes. They were wearing expression that told bluntly that they were both annoyed and were planning something suspicious.

"You're freshmen? Then, let's have a little game so you could say that you 'accomplished' something today, no?" One of the boys who had long hair and a green band in his forehead offered.

'_This guy's up to no good.' _Ryoma thought and started stepping away.

"What kind of game?" One of the 2 boys asked, curious. The guy smirked.

"A test of skill. You can win 10,000 yen if you do it successfully."

The freshmen's eyes, save for Ryoma, widened in excitement. Ryoma was now 2 meters away from them, obviously not wanting to be associated with any of them.

The two upperclassmen gestured for them to go to the courts.

"See that can over there?" the headband guy pointed at a can with a yellow cap in the middle of one side of the court. "Knock it over, and you get 10,000 yen. You have 10 attempts. Easy! He smiled businesslike, followed by saying "But if you're _really_ brave you can take the gamble of getting 10 straight shots in a row to get a 100k. But fail and you get nothing." to make the challenge feel easier to do.

"EASY!" The chimp stated. "I, Horio Satoshi, with 2 years experience will finish this in 1 try!" He bragged, not noticing his senpais' sly smirks.

*Several Minutes Later*

The three failed miserably, and the two upperclassmen started to talk the kids into paying up. "5000 yen each, kids. Pay up. Pay up!"

"B-But we don't have t-that much money!" The now-miserable chimp cried.

The older boys frowned. "What kind of men are you! You don't even know how to-"

He was cut by Ryoma suddenly intervening. "Ne, Senpai. Can I try?" the 3 small boys were shocked.

"ECHIZEN! Don't do it! You'll just get milked as well!" Horio warned.

"Don't do it!" Another freshman implored as the other nodded in agreement with the other two. Ryoma ignored them and took out one of her rackets.

"Echizen…" Horio frowned. He was about to add something when Ryoma glared at him. Horio and the others couldn't breathe for a moment.

Ryoma was definitely in a bad mood.

...

"Ne, Senpai-tachi. Do I get 1 million yen if I hit the can 100 times in a row?" She asked mockingly at the hateful Senpais who used tennis to do so such a disgraceful thing. They took advantage of the tennis newbies and tried to scam them for money. They even put rocks inside the can as _insurance_.

"I'll make sure you pay me a million yen after this." She said looking apathetic but anyone could feel the dark aura emanating from her.

When she was about to hit her 10th shot. The can flew all the way to the next court.

'_Who the heck hit that ball?' _She complained. Now she wouldn't even _get_ 10grand! WHEN SHE WAS _SUPPOSED_ TO GET _1 MILLION_!

'_The guy who hit that is SO dead meat!'_ She cursed.

"Oi, Arai. Stop bullying cute little freshmen." He lectured the two senpais, who were then looking down- intimidated by the new figure that obviously had power over them. After scolding his teammates, he grinned at Ryoma who was throwing daggers at him.

The shocked expressions of the trio never changed since Ryoma hit her 2nd ball until they heard the newcomer. But at least they were now sane enough to start asking each other if the other two knew what the heck was happening.

"Yo, Echizen. I didn't know you play tennis. You're pretty good, too." He stated as he lifted his racket to lay on his shoulder.

"Urusai, Baka-brows. You owe me a million yen." She said irritably although she was actually calmed down by her friend's presence. If he didn't come who knew what would have happened to the other upperclassmen.

Momo gasped at the blasphemous sentence. "_WHAT?_ HOW THE HECK DID THAT HAPPEN?" He shouted and Ryoma lethargically pointed at his teammates who were planning how to run away at the time. Momo stared at them.

The two just 'Eeked' before Arai answered: "Y-You c-can't win any money, freshman, b-because he hit the 10th ball." Ryoma glared at Momo who suddenly shivered both for his life and his allowance for the next 10 years.

"_1 million? Echizen? Seriously?" _He asked in despair.

Arai intervened, maybe his punishment would lessen if he does. "Only 10,000 yen."

Momo's eyes twiched. "Ten thousand _only_? Are you serious? This is _not _counted, Echizen. Obviously, Arai was just doing his childish pranks."

"Tsk. Senpai, I thought you were a _man. _You're not even a good Senpai." She said in a way as to hit Momo's conscience. And she hit it_ hard_.

And that was how Momoshiro officially became a statue.

...

"Ara? Shiba? What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to be at the courts…?" A man in his late 20s asked the photographer.

"I'm going there now, Inoue-senpai." She stated.

The man just pointed to the direction she came from. "But it's that way."

"EH?" She shouted.

Apparently, she was going to the wrong direction.

...

"He's a regular?" Horio asked the Senpai without the hair band. The one with the hair band was sulking somewhere, since he was going to get severely punished by their captain as soon as they get back.

"Yes. I don't know why he had to stay here though." He replied pointing at the still-frozen Momoshiro.

"AH! Now that I think about it he was with Echizen during that commotion they did on the canteen." He recalled still unbelieving on how good Echizen actually was in tennis.

"You just remembered that _now_?" The semi-bald kid asked incredulously. Horio 'humphed' and muttered something about the nerve of him when he only had zero years of tennis experience.

"If you treat me to as many burgers as I want everyday for 1 week I'll let you off." Ryoma said in front of the frozen Momo.

"Only if you win a match against me." He said returning from his shocked state as if it never happened.

"If I win, we'll make it a _month_." She offered slyly.

He grinned. "Deal."

...

Several minutes passed since the game started, and only a few balls were lost. To the standard of the people there, what they were doing was incredibly impressive.

"S-Sugoi Echizen-kun! He's holding up against a regular!" The one with the circular hairstyle exclaimed in awe. While all the others were too shocked to speak. Well, that was until-

"KYAAAAAAAAAAA~! ECHIZEN-SAMA~!" shouted a certain brunette in short pigtails beside two adults who had their hands protecting their ears.

'_WHAT THE HECK IS WITH THIS KID? She's so noisy!' _Shiba complained.

'_My ears- Wait… Echizen…?' _Inoue, on the other hand, thought with some kind of hope evident in his voice. He looked at the small boy with glistening eyes.

_'…Could it be…?'_

The others, unlike him, just wanted the noisy newcomer gone. '_When the heck did SHE get here?' _Horio asked himself as he gawked at her. And soon, Tomoka and Horio got into a glaring contest.

Ryoma let out a deep breath at the annoying scenes outside the court. Soon she got another point and held her racket tightly. She was playing with her right hand- but not because she wanted to. She usually used her left hand immediately if she saw the opponent had a passion for tennis. But since her left palm was still hurting… and there was also the fact that she kept feeling some kind of odd sensation emanating from it whenever she remembered what Fuji did.

_Besides_, she knew Momo's ankle still hurts. So a little handicap on her side became somewhat a necessity. A few more exchanges and she looked at her opponent's play more deeply.

_'He shouldn't be pushing himself too hard. That idiot! Better get serious and end this quickly.'_

_THUMP!_

And that she did.

Momoshiro grinned and wiped his sweat with his elbow, before approaching the net for the customary handshake.

"You win this one."

"I know. But maybe we should play again when your ankle is healed."

"EEEHHHH!" the noisy people outside yelled, making Ryoma's eyes to twitch. "He had an injury?"

"Then isn't that unfair?" Horio asked.

"Not really. Echizen was obviously holding back earlier in the match because he knew his injury." Inoue stated.

"I see…" Shiba breathed then shouted "KYA~! You look even _cooler _in my eyes, Echizen-_san~!_" much to Inoue's embarrassment.

"He already has a_ girlfriend_ old hag!" the photographer's eyes jerked at the sentence.

"I'm only _22 _years old you BRAT! And how do you expect me to believe someone like _you _could be _his _girlfriend?"

Tomoka blushed. "I never said I-_I_ was his girlfriend, I just said he had one."

"So how come you get to _squeal_?" She argued with a child almost 10 years younger than her.

"_I'm _an exception because I'm the president of the Echizen Ryoma fan club! _And _also a close friend of his girlfriend!" She bragged as if it made perfect sense.

Ryoma cursed upon hearing the declaration.

"GAH!" Shiba shouted and was about to start arguing with the kid when Inoue pulled her away and went closer to Ryoma.

"Take a picture." Inoue ordered Shiba, and she happily obliged.

"OI!" Ryoma exclaimed. "Who are you people?" She said in a very annoyed tone as she tried to avoid the camera.

"Ah. We are from _Monthly Tennis_ magazine. And we were supposed to interview the coach and the regulars. I thought they weren't here, but the two of you have so much skill that I know you're regulars." Inoue said politely.

"I'm not even a registered member yet." Ryoma stoically replied and started to walk away. Then she stopped and looked at Momo.

"My burgers."

Momo blinked totally forgetting about the deal. He imagined his wallet getting burned so he could not help but shout in despair.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

* * *

><p><span>JOLLIBEE<span>

"Lighten up, Senpai." Ryoma monotonously tried to cheer Momo up.

"H-How _can _I? You just ate _fifteen_ burgers today! _And there's still 29 days left_!" He screamed to her face and getting saliva on it. The disgusted Ryoma punched him in the face and told him. "Take it like a man, senpai."

And he started hitting his head on the table.

What did he do to deserve this?

...

"Thanks for the treat and taking me home senpai." She said coolly. They were already walking home.

He sighed. "It was late, and you'll probably get lost again. Besides, my house isn't far away from here…"

Then, he got an idea. He grinned.

"Ne, what about a deal."

Ryoma stared at him.

"Let's reduce the one month back to 1 week in the condition I take you to school everyday. _Surely _that's a practical thing to do for _both _of us, no?" he asked her while rubbing his hands together like a greedy merchant.

Ryoma didn't say anything at first.

_'Well, at least we have the _arrangement _Aniki and I were thinking about earlier.' _She thought. She nodded in agreement letting Momo breathe a huge sigh of relief.

"Deal?" Momo smiled and gestured to shake hands. Ryoma grinned back and shook his hand.

"Deal."

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER VI**

_**Next:  
><strong>_**Chapter VII:** **Meeting Seigaku's regulars- Part 1!**

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS <strong>

**dJhamystery -** Thanks! Goodluck to both of us. Hehe

**silverharpie17 - **Thank you. I'll try~

**MintLeafeon** - HEeheh. Yes, she is very unfortunate to have that little brain defect. But what can I say? It's for the greater good! hahah

**SleepyPuppy -** Lolz. Nice idea with Eiji, haha. Maybe I'll do that, but not anytime soon though.

**rjifblue - **_Thank you. _You were the 1st person to say that you liked Tezuka's chapter better. haha

**Annanimeaddict - **Gahaha. Thanks for the vote. I'll count it. But **you should also try for the poll in my profile.**

**Blueberryxn -** Thanks so much!

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><p><strong>Writers adore reviewers. :D<br>So Pleaselet me have a minute more of your time by letting me know what you thought.**_  
><em>


	7. Meeting the Regulars I

In the stead of the Admin panel of the** Prince of tennis Fanfiction facebook page, **we thank everyone who took the time to like the fanpage! As the author of this story, I thank everyone who supported me by reading- but most of all, those who let let me know what they thought! BANZAI!**  
><strong>

Links to larger version of my coverpages and my fanarts are in my profile. I'd be honored of you check them out.

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis.

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER VII: Meeting the other regulars- Part 1!<strong>

TEMPLE

It was a typical spring morning. Birds chirping, flowers blooming, heroines yawning…

Reina loved to sleep, but sadly these past few years she wasn't given the privilege to sleep in because of her 'situation' with directions. And sadly there were many times, like this day for instance, wherein she inconveniently looked at the clock. It said 7:10am and her eyes widened immediately.

"Oh crap._" _was all she could say, and she hurriedly stood up and went down to eat.

MAIN STAIRS, several minutes later

"OI! _Echizen_!" Momo shouted from the bottom of the stairs heading to the temple. He thought that maybe the boy could hear it.

After a few more attempts, there was still no answer. He sighed and decided to climb up. He inhaled and gestured for another shameless yell.

"Echiz-" He stopped as he saw the figure who was watering the plants. He squinted his eyes, thinking that maybe he was seeing things… No change.

He rubbed his eyes and then closed it… still no change.

He pinched himself… _still _no change.

The figure noticed him and glared. "E-Echizen!" He practically squeaked in surprise.

'_WHAT THE HECK! I-I just saw him yesterday and now he's T- TALLER than ME?' _The idiot incoherently shouted at himself.

Echizen turned to him, slightly making the spiky-haired boy to wince.

"Who are you?" Ryoga asked irritably, obviously in a bad mood even before the moron came… and now he just made it worse. Karupin just destroyed one of his favorite shirts, after all. He could beat up an innocent passer-by right now for all he cared.

And what do you know? He just arrived.

Momo, still incredulous, had regained a bit of composure and looked visibly offended. "What? You got a _little _taller and now you don't even _know_ me? I knew you lacked emotions but this is just _sinful_, man!"

Echizen raised his eyebrows. "I'll ask this one more time or else I _swear _I'll punch you – WHO THE HECK _ARE_ YOU?"

A vein popped in Momo's head. "What the- Try if you _can, _kiddo! I don't know how you got a foot taller in a day but I can still beat you up if it's a fist fight!" He abruptly took the stance of a boxer and started hopping the way they do.

Echizen blinked, and then chucked out-of-nowhere surprising boxer-Momo. _'This must be Ryoma's new err…chaperone.' _He thought internally. _'I guess I can't beat him up _now_.'_

"N-Nani?" Momo asked anxiously. _'What is he laughing about? My form? I know I've never _really _boxed before but…'_

"You must have mistaken me for my si-brother, Echizen Ryoma." He smirked, now perfectly calm. "Echizen Ryoga, Yoroshiku!"

A moment of silence passed and Momo's eyes widened in realization.

_'No wonder Echizen's name sounded familiar! He's THE Echizen Ryoga's little brother! __Their names sounds alike, too… NO WAY-!' _

Momo was ecstatic; he watched Ryoga play as a child. Ryoga was the reason why he started playing tennis in the first place. But it was so long ago when he had last seen him play that he forgot what he looked like and barely remembered his name.

'_Wait a minute… Isn't Echizen Ryoga the son of THE Samurai Nanjiroh?' _His eyes widened even more. _'This is too good to be true.'_

Momo, after regaining his composure, just wiped his sweaty hands on his pants and hurriedly returned the handshake. "G-Gomen. You two just look and act alike." He stated trying to look as indifferent as he can, but failed miserably.

"Yeah, we get that a lot." Ryoga grinned. "And what do you mean by '…if it's a fist fight'?" he asked slyly making Momo flinch.

"He beat you at tennis didn't he? What's the score?" He asked as if it's so obvious that Ryoma beat him. "6-3" He replied.

"Ehhh…. You're not too bad, then. Ryoma's still asleep because he knows he won't get lost. Means he trusts you… I'll reward you with a game with me, then." Ryoga declared taking Momo by surprise.

_'A game… with my idol? I-I must be dreaming…_' he sleepily told himself_. _

"Are you in or not?" Ryoga asked effectively breaking Momo's daze. Momoshiro only grinned (and jump about) in delight.

"O-OF COURSE!"

**...**

Ryoma was finished getting ready half an hour after she woke up and was about to rush to the front door when she heard people playing in the courts. She batted an eyelid and lazily walked there. When she arrived, she coolly looked at the context - two tennis players were holding tennis rackets... Momo was crouching down sweating like hell, and Ryoga had his trademark smirk on.

"How many minutes?" She asked stoically while looking alternatively at the two boys.

"Three." Ryoga stated.

She whistled. "That's just _sad,_ Momochan-senpai." She grinned at the crouching boy who was dead tired but still had a vibrant smile on his face. She knew Ryoga played seriously, though, to avoid worsening Momo's condition.

Her senpai took a deep breath and stood up. He looked at the older boy who just defeated him _badly_, looked down shyly, and inarticulately asked:

"C-Can I have your autograph?"

Ryoma chuckled, and she watched them interact in amusement. Heck, she even had a hard time convincing Momo that they were already going to be late.

"S-Sugoi Echizen! I didn't know you had such a famous family! C-Can I meet your Dad next time?" He said as he hugged the paper with Ryoga's autograph, as they walked down the stairs.

"Is he an idol of yours, too?" Ryoma asked stoically and Momo nodded. She sighed.

"Then if you want to keep your sanity, then I suggest you don't meet him… ever." She stated, her calm demeanor not changing a bit.

Momo could only scratch his head in confusion.

**...**

It was already 8:00am and class would start in thirty minutes. Momo thought there would be no point to go to the club then so he decided to take Ryoma to her room since she still had her cleaning duty.

"Aren't you gonna get in trouble senpai?" She asked.

"Nah… Since I played tennis during the time anyway… I can't wait to see their reactions when I te-" His excited ranting was stopped by Ryoma raising her hand. "I'm sorry to blow your bubble, senpai. But I can't afford being _even_ more popular than I am now. It's too troublesome. So I ask you to keep this a secret."

She was looking at him intently, ensuring that Momo would not have much of a choice. He just nodded sadly in understanding, he was walking with Ryoma to school after all. They weren't even staring at _him _per se, but he was still freaked out.

Ryoma, seeing her friend's disappointment, promised him that he could come and play with Ryoga anytime so long as he agreed. Momo's face lightened up upon hearing her offer, and exclaimed "YATTA!" making everyone shift their gazes, which were originally on Ryoma, to _him._

He blushed in embarrassment and bid his farewell. "Come later in practice. Tezuka's there." He teased knowing of Ryoma's admiration towards his captain. He was honestly expecting the boy to ignore him. But he _smiled,_ catching Momoshiro by surprise.

ROOM 1-A

Thankfully, she was the only one inside the classroom. Apparently, Takeda-sensei asked her students to come about 5 minutes before class so the assigned cleaner, Ryoma, could clean up since the teacher knew her student would be late. She saw a few fan girls peeping here and there but there weren't many of them so she could easily scare them off with her trademark glare.

She opened the window for a little air as well as for her dusting later, but when she looked outside... for an instant then sensed something drop from above. With her quick reflexes she managed to catch the object accelerating 32 feet per second.

She looked at the object and she scoffed at the sight of it.

It was a mobile phone.

_'What kind of idiot drops his phone on the window, anyway?'_

She looked above to see who might've dropped it but there was no one in sight. She shrugged and put the phone on the teacher's table.

She started with arranging the chairs and the side tables, then proceeded taking care of the teacher's table, and finally went to clean the blackboard and its apparatuses. Eventually, the time to clean the erasers came and she went to the windows to do dust them.

_Rustle_

It came from below, and before she could even look down-

"*cough*Oi- *cough*" the bush said.

She narrowed her eyes at the figure in the bush. It was a person... pretty much white from the chalk dust. He had cat-like eyes and well, pretty much the presence of a cat in general. She stared at him for a moment, thinking of Karupin.

"W-What the heck is your problem kiddo? Can't you see I'm doing something important here? Nya~" The guy exclaimed looking _violated._

She blinked and then sighed, disappointed. _'Aha, never mind... Karupin is WAY more mature than this guy.' _ She thought and then closed the window. But when she was walking away, she heard loud knocking on the glass window.

It was the annoying white-bushcat.

She irritably opened the window; she didn't want to get in anymore trouble by allowing the glass to break. She glared at him.

"What?"

The bushcat pouted and pointed at the phone. She looked at it and asked, "Yours?"

He shook his head,"My friend's". Ryoma saw that he was anxious and a bit scared. She just frowned at the chalk-covered boy and started to interrogate him. "Is this really your friend's? Why do you look freaked out, then?"

The boy frowned as a reply.

But then, he suddenly recalled what could happen to him if he _didn't_ get it back.

He shivered for his life.

_-Flashback-_

_WALKING HOME, 15 HOURS AGO_

"_Ahhhh~ How tiring!" he complained to his doubles partner Oishi Suichiro as they walked towards the club's meeting place on the opponent's school grounds._

_Their practice game was not hard; in fact it was the exact opposite of a challenge. He was tired because their captain suddenly assigned 20 laps to him and _him alone _for asking harmless questions like 'Ne Tezuka, why do you seem especially serious today...?'_

_He was about to look at the sky in wonder when his peripheral vision caught a lone figure standing in their meeting place._

_It was his best friend, Fuji, who was standing still by the school gate... smiling at his fold-able mobile phone. He tilted his head, puzzled. He barely saw his friend use his mobile phone, but now he'd seen him look at it so many times during the day. _

"_Ne, Fujiko~!" Kikumaru Eiji yelled as he approached his always-smiling friend. Fuji didn't answer, nor did he even move. Determined, the red-head moved even more quickly to the frozen tennis player._

"_FUJI_KO_!" He screamed right beside his ear trying to get his best friend's attention back. _

"_Nani?" he answered with his usual expression, not fazed at all. The human cat was taken aback._

_Something was off, _very _off. He'd been best friends with this boy for 2 years now, and this is the first time he'd seen him this… preoccupied. _

_Curious, he stared at his friend's phone wondering what could be inside. Fuji immediately noticed this and frowned. Sensing Fuji's displeasure, and the humiliation that might accompany it, he frantically tried to find a way to change the topic. _

"_W-Weren't you a bit _too _nice to your opponent earlier today? I mean, giving him 2 games and all…" he managed to ask._

"_I was?" He asked back with a plastered smile still on his face. Eiji raised a brow and placed his hands on his hips. "What's wrong with you and Tezuka today, anyway? Nya~" the human cat asked perplexed at the fact that the two calmest people he knew were acting well… not like themselves…_

"_Tezuka?" Fuji questioned, he didn't notice at all since he was pretty much in a trance the whole day. His best friend nodded. "Tezuka seems to be pissed off today. I was just asking him some… things and he suddenly _glared _at me! He even assigned me _laps!_" He exclaimed looking like he just lost a finger._

_Fuji ignored his friend's rants and automatically looked at Tezuka, who was then with the others walking to their direction._

_Indeed, although most people would see no change in expression, he could see that Tezuka was in a bad mood. He wondered why… _'Maybe if I found out I'd get good blackmail material.' _He thought evilly._

_Eiji noticing that his friend was looking at their captain, decided to ask again what was with him and his phone. He was about to say a good opening line when they heard a vehicle's horn right behind them._

"_Syusuke." A very familiar female voice called his friend. It was Fuji's sister, Yumiko._

"_Hello, nee-san." Fuji smiled._

"_Ready to go home?" She asked. Fuji nodded and waved at his teammates. Eiji sighed sadly._

_And so, the human cat could no longer pry… for the day, anyway._

_SCHOOL, A LITTLE AFTER 8AM_

_Eiji came to came to school with his imaginary Sherlock Holmes costume (since the real one was too expensive). He was determined to find out what's inside Fuji's phone._

_He silently peeked into the classroom from the back door. He looked around and he saw Fuji, sitting in his chair smiling oddly at his phone again. _

_Using his inhuman stealth, Eiji slowly came closer to his unsuspecting friend._

_He carefully placed himself behind Fuji and adjusted his head to see the screen of his friend's mobile phone. His heart was filled with anticipation as he was _finally _going to see what was keeping Fuji's attention. _'It's-"_he squealed internally for an instant but stopped the second he saw the image._

"_W-Wasabi?" He thought incredulously… out loud consequently making Fuji turn his head in a creepy, mechanical way. _

_Eiji gulped. _'What's he so mad about? It's just Wasabi…'

_Then he blinked at a feint memory abruptly appearing in his head. He saw a flash of white just before he saw the wasabi; he had superhuman eyesight so he was sure._

'Could it be that he managed to change the photo at the last second?' _He thought suspiciously to himself._

_Fuji's attempts on hiding it just made the already meddlesome human cat more curious. And being the fastest on their tennis team, he swiftly grabbed the phone loosely being held by his friend's hands._

_Fuji's eyes opened in surprise, and Eiji shivered instantaneously at the sight of Fuji's cerulean orbs- filled with irritation. He never did this before- especially not to a sadist. He looked around and saw people cluttering around... some of them amused some just curious. _

_He frowned. No one would help him in this situation- and he frantically looked for a way out of his friend's wrath. _

'Should I run away?'_ he asked himself as he looked at the location of the door. It was behind Fuji, and he was now nervously backing away from it and towards the open window. He mentally punched himself for not using his already barely-used brain._

"_Eiji." Fuji called in a serious tone of voice as he slowly walked closer to him. He now had his eyes closed but Eiji was still shivering like a rabbit trapped by a wolf with no place to escape. Fuji took a particularly heavy footstep getting his victim to instinctively back away._

_The human cat knew there was no place to run now. _'Maybe if I give up now, I won't die…?' _he thought hopefully. So Eiji, being Eiji, believed in the optimism of his situation._

_And so, he decided to give Fuji his phone back. _

_He raised both of his hands up at the gesture of surrender. But unexpectedly, Fuji's eyes opened all of a sudden. He was staring at the hand that held his phone._

_Eiji automatically looked at his hand. The phone was no longer there. He gulped._

_Fuji eyes slowly and eerily shifted from his hands to his eyes. Eiji could only manage to chuckle nervously._

'Oops.'

_-End of flashback-_

The red-head's face turned to that in a horror movie. He was the person to be killed.

"My friend's a sadist so if I don't get it fixed and bring it back to him by today I will see hell. Nya!" He said as if it had nothing to do with him, but anxious regardless. He was now chalk-free, revealing his _very_ red head, because he decided to go inside the room. That, and Ryoma said she would punch him if he gets chalk to the floor.

"Fixed?" Ryoma asked.

"Duhh… It fell from the fourth floor, nya~" he replied as-a-matter-of-factually.

"You're a senior?" She said, incredulous. Eiji, who didn't sense the mockery in her voice, just grinned proudly.

"You smell like a five-year-old." She stated raising an eyebrow.

"Nya?" he questions, having no idea what she just said. _'Didn't I take a bath this morning?_' he tried to reassure himself but he smelled different parts of his body effectively showing off his flexibility anyway.

'_He sure can remind people of cats.'_ She thought, amused. Ryoma liked animals, especially cats. She even used to like monkeys … before that accident in a certain zoo...

_-Flashback-_

_NISPEDANA CHILDREN'S ZOO, 8 years ago  
><em>

_5-year old Reina was walking happily with the limited edition 1-liter bottle of pineapple-flavored Ponta resting in her arms. But since the bottle was half her size she had a hard time drinking it. _

_She decided to lay it on a surface about as high as her chest and tilt it in a way she could drink it with minimal spill. But unfortunately, the surface was the rail right outside the cage for monkeys. And it just so happened that the monkeys could reach the said rail._

_And so as if by some force of nature, a monkey tipped her Ponta as she was drinking it, effectively sending 99% of it to the floor. _

_-End of flashback-_

And since then, she had a tendency to associate annoying people with monkeys.

**...**

"What do you mean by smell? Nya~" The human cat asked her after finishing his little inspection. Ryoma examined him; she knew she would have a hard time explaining it to him, so she just muttered that it was nothing.

She looked at the boy and how he pouted. He's doing the kitten-cat eyes intriguing Ryoma to no end. She grabbed the cell phone and climbed up to the teacher's table so that she got to be a meter taller than him.

Eiji blinked. _'Nya?'_ He asked himself confused at what the kid was doing.

Ryoma smirked. He _was _like a cat, albeit not Karupin. Karupin was a really smart and mature cat, maybe even more of an adult than _this_ guy.

Ryoma let one of her hands out with the phone on it. She started moving it in circles above Eiji's head. The human cat instinctively tried to grab it but Ryoma lifted it higher so that he couldn't reach it. As the play went on for about a minute, a bystander would think cell phones were the catnip for human cats.

But soon enough, they heard footsteps about several meters away.

Eiji immediately went to serious mode and jumped to grab the cell phone that was high above Ryoma's head. She blinked, surprised at the impressive leap. She looked down on the boy who was now jumping from joy like a toddler who finally got his pacifier back from his bullying older sister.

His celebration, though, was abruptly halted as he realized that the phone wasn't broken at all.

"I caught it when it was falling down." Eiji winced in surprise before beaming and quickly hugged the little boy. "NYA~~ ! Arigatou, Ochibi-nya~!"

A vein appeared on her forehead _'I saved his life and he calls me LITTLE?'_

"I just saved your life senpai. You owe me." She stoically stated with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

Then, they realize that the footsteps had gotten very close. "Better go now neko-senpai." He nodded at the little boy who saved him from total humiliation courtesy of his best friend. He quickly went to the window, also relieved that the kid didn't press him for payment.

Little did he know that the said kid was smirking evilly at him.

_'I'll make you pay later… at the club.'_

3-A

"You're late, Kikumaru Eiji." the deep male voice of their English teacher stated.

"G-Gomen, s-sensei." Eiji stuttered. The teacher pointed at a sentence on the board. "Translate this paragraph into English. You _will not_ sit down until you answer it correctly."

"_EEEHHHH_!" the human cat shouted loudly that even Ryoma could hear. She laughed internally, along with the boisterous laughter of Eiji's classmates.

*An hour later*

"Here." Eiji begrudgingly handed the phone over to Fuji during the break between subjects. Fuji raised his eyebrows examining the unharmed phone. "It's still working." He stated with a mix of relief and worry in his voice.

"A cute little freshman caught it." He said happily while Fuji frowned in suspicion. "Did either of you look inside?"

The neko flinched. _'I didn't think about that! Oh maaaaaaaaaaaaaan. Nya.' _He shouted despairingly at himself.

"Well…?" Fuji pressed waiting for an answer. Eiji shook his head getting Fuji's frown to disappear. Fuji knew his best friend wouldn't – or _couldn't_, rather - lie to him, after all.

"You should sit down now, Eiji. You don't want Takeda-sensei to see you standing up when she gets here, no?" The red-head winced. Takeda Maya preferred to see her class already seated and quiet once she had entered the door. If she saw anyone still standing up, or just chatting, she would make them stand up the whole session.

So Eiji hurriedly went to his seat and stayed there until the end of the break.

**...**

"Good Morning class."

Takeda arrived and the students did their costumary greetings. As soon as they sat, she immediately started speaking about the day's lesson. Her class kept quiet, as usual, so she got to concentrate on writing on the board for a while.

And as she wrote Math problems on the board, the engrossed teacher did not sense that one of her students was playing with his phone.

It was Fuji, unfortunately for her, and he had never put himself up for trouble unless he could avoid it. He looked at his phone and clicked on 'my pictures'. There was a folder named 'E.R.' that could easily mean 'Emergency Room' containing gory pictures if it was on Fuji's phone.

He smiled and clicked on it. Inside there were a few pictures of a certain girl frantically looking for a shade under the rain… and one as she was petting his favorite cat, Karupin.

He chuckled internally. It wasn't easy to take pictures of her since she was so alert. It was made even harder because her brother and father were in the vicinity.

It was an achievement to get that last one.

He looked at the girl's serene face…

…and wondered when he'd get the chance to take some more pictures.

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER VII**

_**Next:  
><strong>_**Chapter VIII:Meeting the other regulars- Part 2!**

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Blueberryxn - **Thanks again for the review~!

**Tsuky0Angel** - Lolz, nice support on the guys woman! Hahaha. Thanks for the review!

**rjifblue** - Saa... the prefecturals haven't even started yet! Haha. Let's take it sloooooowww. HAHAHA. Thanks for the review~!

**Mintleafeon** - Hehehe. Sure do hope she stays cool! Ty for the reviews!

**Silverharpie17** - Thank you! And me too. Sometimes I wonder if I torture him too much. Haha

**SoulSilverShipping** - Hahaha. Can't reall think of anything to describe those type of guys. Thanks for the review!

**Frostfire613** - Can't guarantee you that just yet. Haha, but I'll count your vote and you should vote in the polls as well, if you have the time. Thank you for the reviews!

**Annanimeaddict** - Be reasonable! Haha. First you tell me not to die, and now this? HAHHAHA. Thanks for the review~

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading,<br>and please pause for a moment and let me know what your reactions were!  
><strong>


	8. Meeting the Regulars II

Thank you for reading this far! Special claps for those who reviewed, subscribed, faved, and C2d this story! You guys really motivate me to write!

Ah! My other stories could reaaally use more audience. Feedback would be lovely as well. ;D**  
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**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p><strong>...<br>**

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><p><strong>CHAPTER VIII: Meeting the other regulars- Part 2!<strong>

ROOFTOP, LUNCH TIME

"Say 'AH'~" a smiling Fuji ordered Eiji to open his mouth as he raised his chopsticks holding a rather _large _serving of sushi that contained a humongous amount of green substance in it. The red-head was close to tears at the moment, and was violently shaking his head and was tightly covering his mouth in a vain attempt for self-preservation.

"_Yadda_!"He exclaimed with his hands still protecting his mouth. He'd already eaten _three_ Fuji-standard wasabi sushi today and he just _knew_ he would die if he consumed another one.

"_Eiji_~ You shouldn't refuse a blessing when it comes to you." Fuji lectured with his eerier than usual smile on.

_'What do you mean by BLESSING?' _Eiji squeaked at Fuji internally. He looked at his friend who was trying to murder him.

There was no change in expression. His eyes widened.

'_He's _really_ trying to kill me!' _

Fuji sighed.

"This is the last one, I promise." he smiled, but Eiji tried his best not to soften up.

"You know… you should start taking responsibility for your actions, Eiji. You're not a kid anymore." Fuji slyly commented at the scared human cat. Eiji's expression turned serious- suddenly determined to take his friend's challenge head-on.

Eiji gulped before reluctantly taking his palm away and shakily opened his mouth.

But as soon as his tongue touched the green substance, he himself turned green. He coughed and hastily looked around for water. Everyone already drank theirs, to his horror, squealing in despair. He cried and stood up as fast as he could and ran outside to the nearest fountain- only to find himself tripping several times along the way.

**_THUMP!_**

Most of them reflexively leaned down at the sound, but just sweat-dropped afterwards. Momo look at the vice captain, Oishi, in curiosity. "What was that about?"

Oishi shrugged as he did not know- nor did he want to. He stared at the door a little worried about his doubles partner, but he knew the Eiji wouldn't die.

'_He'll come back alive… right?' _He asked himself for reassurance, but to his despair nothing came.

He shook his head dismissing morbid thoughts, and turned to look at the kouhai who asked the question. "What about you? Why didn't you show up this morning?"

"Didn't I send you a text?" Momo replied doing his best to hide his anxiety.

Oishi nodded. "Yes, you did. But what could 'I can't come to morning practice, I'm playing with my idol.' mean?"

Momo cringed. He sent that message as soon as he accepted Ryoga's offer since he didn't know Ryoma wanted to keep his family a secret. He quickly rummaged his brain for lies, he was lucky that Tezuka wasn't there with them _yet_ so he was able to do so.

"I-I was listening to Yiruma, my favorite pianist. I was playing with him using the piano at home." He managed to utter. Good thing his sister actually _played_ the instrument and that she liked bragging about it.

"Sugoi, Momo. I didn't know you can play." Kawamura kindly complimented the younger teen, effectively making the liar believe in his own deceit. Kaidoh frowned.

"Fssshhhhh. He's lying." Kaidoh stated in his usual harsh tone of voice. A vein popped on Momoshiro's head, and he was pulled away from his flattered daze.

"What did you just _say_, Mamushi?" he exclaimed in a threatening tone at his rival; now _completely_ forgetting that he was, in fact, lying.

"I just said you're a liar, _Boke_." The human snake shot back. Momoshiro's eyes jerked like hell.

"If _I'm_ a liar, then what are you? A _worm_?" he yelled indignantly, and Kaidoh's eyes widened slightly at his stupidity.

"That was _too_ lame! You should be ashamed of yourself, Aho!"

"Grrrrrrrrr"

"_Grrrrrr-"_

Their bickering (and growling) continued- with their teammates having different reactions. Some watched passively and wrote on a notebook, some hooted as if he's in a wrestling match, and Oishi _tried_ pushing them apart...

But two angry idiots going against one demure mother-hen was definitely a one-sided fight.

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><p>"What's going on here?" Tezuka Kunimitsu, who had just arrived, frowned even more as he saw the chaos that unfolded in front of him. What did he expect? Having lunch with his hyperactive teammates never really guaranteed peace that he usually preferred, but what he was currently looking at was giving him an even stronger head-ache.<p>

"EVERYONE 40 LAPS AROUND THE ROOFTOP, _NOW_!" He shouted, not changing his facial expression.

But everyone else's certainly did.

**...**

"Mou, laps during _lunch_? Tezuka sure got heartless during the weekend." Eiji complained softly to his doubles partner. He especially didn't get why he got punished when he wasn't even _there_ the time Tezuka got mad.

Oishi sighed. He knew that they were all quite… lively, but he never saw Tezuka snap like that. "Maybe he's having some sort of trouble." He muttered.

"What kind of trouble do you think it is?" Kawamura asked worried for their captain.

"He looks like he's pissed off…" Momo commented glimpsing at their captain sitting alone on their usual spot. His eyes were closed and his frown was visibly deeper than usual.

Inui's eyeglasses glinted as he touched his chin. "He isn't pissed, exactly… It's feels more like he's just _tired._"

Eiji's eyes widened in horror. "Tired of u-_us_?" He squealed, and everyone gaped at him- actually considering the possibility of his assumption.

"N-No way that's the case, ne, senpai?" Momo cried, asking Inui for reassurance.

But Inui didn't answer, concerned himself.

Kaidoh 'fsshed' silently, contemplating all the things he did that could've annoyed the captain. Everyone else did the same.

And to their despair, so many memories came to mind.

_-Flashbacks-_

"_Ne, ne, Tezu~ka!" A jolly Eiji called his captain's name after swallowing a spoonful of his strawberry cake. "Did you know that the Chocolates are having a concert in Tokyo next week?" _

_Tezuka shrugged, he had never heard of sweets having concerts._

_Eiji misread his silence and continued his blabbering. But the red-head, who can only concentrate with only one thing at a time (albeit exceptionally), didn't notice that he was now chewing his cake. So when he started getting enthusiastic about the topic-_

_Well, let's just say Tezuka didn't like wearing cakes… especially the ones full of saliva._

_...  
><em>

"_Thank you for coming, Tezuka." Kawamura shyly said to the captain, who was then sitting in front of him in the sushi bar. _

_"Aa…" Tezuka, as usual, frugally replied. _

_Kawamura Takeshi was finally allowed to make sushi that will be eaten by costumers. But Kawamura, insecure as he was, needed some more affirmation of his skills. And so, he invited Tezuka since Ryuzaki-sensei and Oishi had previous appointments._

_After a minute or so of preparing his dish, the nervous Takashi carefully handed it to Tezuka. His captain dutifully put the (suspicious-looking) sushi in his mouth._

_Tezuka turned slightly blue, and then coughed heavily. He looked at Kawamura, his eyes pleading '_water'_._

'_Too much Wasabi…?' was all he could think of after seeing Tezuka finished the cup of water in one gulp._

_..._

"_You're ruining the food, _you dolt_!" Kaidoh hissed at Momo's antics earlier that period. Momo abruptly stood up in anger to make a vehement comeback. "How am I ruining the food? Have you _seen_ your face lately, Mamushi?"_

_Kaidoh scoffed while continuing as he momentarily stopped eating. "As idiotically shallow as always."_

"Grrrrrrrrrrrr_" Momo growled, thinking of a counter-attack. Kawamura just sighed. Even when they eat in the canteen (due to the rain) the rivals simply couldn't stop getting in each others' throats…_

"_Sit down, Aho! You're embarrassing." Kaidoh glared at the still-standing Momoshiro. They're already being looked at from the start, and his idiot rival is just making it worse._

_Another vein popped in Momo's head and made heated hand gestures as he was trying to make his point as offending as possible._

_Unfortunately, Oishi had to buy lunch that day… and his course towards their table was coincidentally intersecting with the path of Momo's energetic hands. So his standing Kouhai accidentally hit his food tray. For a second they watched it fly-  
><em>

_...and land on a certain stoic senior that was then surrounded by aura that could kill._

_-End of flashback-_

With the countless times they annoyed Tezuka, the ones involving food were the ones to actually pop up.

It was lunch after all.

* * *

><p>After staring at their captain with teary eyes, Eiji Kikumaru could no longer handle the tension. "<em>WAH<em>!" He exclaimed making everyone back away from him.

"E-Eiji?" His startled doubles partner asked only to be ignored. Eiji closed his eyes and abruptly slapped both of his own cheeks. Everyone blinked.

When he opened his eyes, it was full of determination; and before they knew it- the human cat was already sitting beside Tezuka and was gaping at him intently.

"Ne, Tezuka… Are you quitting the tennis team?" He asked with an uncharacteristically serious tone of voice.

Flabbergasted, Momo and Kawamura lost their footing falling face first to the ground. The others save for Fuji and Inui, who were right behind them, noticed them there a moment too late and soon their faces joined theirs on the floor.

Tezuka saw how his teammates became dominoes and massaged his forehead. "What are you asking all of a sudden Eiji?"

He was about to cry, making Tezuka show an almost visible sweat drop. _'Why must this kind of problem happen now?' _He thought to himself, particularly not in the mood to answer foolish questions.

"Ano…You s-seem to be getting t-tired up with us..." He sobbed. They didn't notice that the other regulars were now watching them intently.

Tezuka was startled to say the least, even when his face didn't show any hint of it. They were excessively an odd and energetic bunch, but he could always muster the patience for them. Not that anyone knew this, of course.

He just sighed. "I'm not. I'm tired because I barely slept these past few days."

Everyone beamed at the statement. And Eiji who was right beside him hugged him out of nowhere. He frowned deeper, and seeing this everyone stepped away.

That hug just made him remember another hug- or rather, a simple _handshake-_ given by a certain girl. He frowned as he saw her face in his head.

_Again._

_-Flashback-_

_TEZUKA HOUSEHOLD, SUNDAY_

_It was already 10am in the morning but it is still dark because of the downpour. He looked outside; at least his mother wouldn't force him out in this weather. He could finally do his work today and still have some spare hours to read a novel. _

_*_7 hours later*

_He wouldn't be reading a novel, after all. It was already 5pm and he barely finished half of his workload. It's not that the papers were harder to do than anticipated…_

_It's just that _someone_'s face just kept popping out out-of-nowhere, distracting him to no end._

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><p><span>1-A, ENGLISH<span>

"Echizen Ryoma read the next paragraph." Their English teacher, a chubby old woman with light brown hair, said.

"Hai…" She said lazily trying to scuffle a yawn. She did what the teacher asked with her flawless English accent, awing everyone.

"Very good, Echizen-san." The teacher complimented, not particularly surprised but still impressed. The kid grew up in America after all. She then looked outside the door and saw a figure that was waiting for her to finish a job.

"Ah, Echizen-san. Don't sit down yet. Please go outside now, someone from the main office is waiting for you."

"But, we have a class…" she reasoned a tad irritated because she wouldn't be able to continue her sleep.

"It's fine. You know what we're studying now by heart already anyway… to the point you're already sleeping." The teacher smirked and Ryoma frowned, but did what she was told. But on her way to the door the teacher asked if her next class was physical education. Ryoma raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"Since it's the last class, you don't need to come back here anymore."

Ryoma shrugged and went outside, finding a very familiar person waiting for her.

ADMINISTRATION'S OFFICE

"Ah, Echizen-chan." The old woman from before called. "You must be a bit surprised at abruptly getting called here. It's just the director of Education made a surprise visit here to our school. He's talking with the principal right now. He's an alumnus here, you see… "She stated with pride.

"The student-teacher thing was his idea." The woman added making Ryoma scoff, at least she knew who to blame.

"In any case, he'd like to talk with the 3 of you special kids." She blinked.

_'Three? Where's the other two?'_ She asked herself before the door opened.

Takeda Maya came along with a very familiar looking girl. For some reason, she shivered.

She did not remember this girl, she knew this girl wasn't _evil _but she felt that any memory she has associated with the new girl is simply very… disturbing.

"Echizen-san~ how nice to see you again." She stated politely. The teachers, seeing that the two already 'knew' each other, left them alone and went to chat.

"Who are you?" Ryoma asked rather arrogantly. The girl blinked in shock. "W-We just met yesterday, Echizen-san."

'_Yesterday? What happened yesterday?'_

The girl, still looking a bit startled, cleared her throat and went closer to her ears and whispered as she grinned: "I still love you, you know."

Ryoma's eyes widened in remembrance.

_The crazy fangirl from that incident with buggy.  
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Ryoma's eyes twitched crazily.'_Of all the rotten luck—'_

She slowly backed away when the crazy girl slowly walked towards her wearing a _really _creepy smile.

"Kuroro Hona, second year. Nice to see you again, Echizen-san." She stated keeping her smile.

"I-I already have a girlfriend, you know…" She blurted out without thinking. She mentally slapped herself hoping like hell that the crazy girl wasn't crazy enough to go hurt her best-friend-slash-pretend-girlfriend.

She quickly regained her composure and glared. "Don't you _dare _touch her."

The crazy girl suddenly bowed her head. "I'm not planning to… Besides, everyone knows you and your girlfriend already." She muttered. "I'm not _that _crazy to try to hurt someone out of envy…"

Ryoma blinked surprised at the sudden personality change. Then something clicked, there was an odd change in the girl's eyes when she said the last sentence. She tried to recall her eyes during her first confession of 'love' for her. It was hard at first since it was in the 'memories-never-to-be-accessed-again' folder in the deepest part of her brain.

When she finally recalled it, she mechanically scratched her chin. According to what she remembered, the crazy girl's eyes were full of- what? Admiration and… Gratitude...?

'_Gratitude?'_ She mused very perplexed.

She looked at the girl, who was then looking around the office... again.

Ryoma narrowed her eyes. _'This girl… is hiding something…interesting.'_

She smirked.

'_Crazy people aren't _that_ bad, after all.'_

**...**

"Do you know who the third one is?" Ryoma asked the other girl (who wasn't in crazyfangirl-mode anymore) as they were ushered to their seats. The girl shook her head. "All I know is that I'm one and that you, Echizen Ryoma, is the other one."

"What year are you again?" She asked completely forgetting what the other said just a few minutes earlier.

"Second year. I'm from 2-B." The other replied, taking no offense. Ryoma blinked. _'2-B...?'_

"Ehh… Same as buggy-kun." She thought out loud.

"Buggy-kun?" Kuroro asked. Ryoma nodded."The one I had a glaring contest with."

Then, to her surprise, the other girl blushed.

"Do you have a multiple personalities?" She asked bluntly.

Kuroro gaped at her, thinking of what to say. She didn't _exactly_ have multiple personalities. She shook her head.

"It's just that I change drastically every time I… start to _really_ want something... or someone… or something from someone…"

"Huh?" Ryoma asked. Oddly enough, she felt there was nothing truly malicious about what the girl said. If anything, it was almost innocent.

The girl just blushed to herself as if remembering some distant memory. Ryoma was about to ask what was wrong when the door suddenly opened letting another rather chubby teacher and a boy with jet black hair to enter.

Ryoma saw Kuroro's eyes widened in surprise "Oishi-senpai…" she muttered and Ryoma looked at her to ask who the guy was.

"That's Oishi-senpai, he's a third year. He's one of the top students but I thought it would be either Tezuka-senpai or Fuji-senpai." Our Heroine stared at her when she heard the names.

Kuroro continued. "They're the top 3 senior students with Oishi-senpai as the 3rd… which was why I thought it would be one of the other two. Ah! They're all part of the tennis team, too."

Ryoma didn't speak for a few minutes. _'Fuji? No way… right? 'She_ looked at her still damaged left palm and felt a tad embarrassed at a certain memory.

She sighed and just glimpsed at the male fellow student-teacher. _'He must be Moonhead-senpai, then.' _

The older man and the boy came closer. Oishi bowed and introduced himself and then the other two did the same. Apparently, Tezuka and Fuji were given a choice to do this project. Tezuka said he was too busy with council and club works, while Fuji is well… simply not into it. And hence, Oishi would be the senior representative.

The older man, after watching them intently and waiting for the three to end their chatting, spoke.

"What a good-looking bunch." He stated out-of-nowhere subsequently laughing like Santa.

Kuroro blushed since even when she knew he was just flattering them - er, _her _since the other two _were _good-looking _–_ no one had told her that she was pretty. Well, other than her parents and an old... friend. She looked at her reflection on the shiny round table where they sat. She had dry hair, incredibly narrow eyes, and much calloused hands due to housework... it was already a miracle if _one_ person called her 'pretty'.

"Now that we're all here…" The man continued. "Let's start – Ah! How rude of me, my name is Akimoto Jun, I am the one who called for you here." They all nodded politely, knowing who the person was.

"First of all, I apologize for having to pull you out of class, but this is the only free time I have." He cleared his throat and continued. "And I want to tell all of you this personally. But I think it would be interesting to hear what you think of this little experiment I'm doing, first. So… who wants to go first?"

Ryoma was the first to speak, because she was the one who disliked it the most (since she was the only one who didn't have much of a choice unlike Tezuka or Fuji). And everyone knew she did not like being bossed around.

"Why are there only three of us?"

Akimoto just smiled and said that would be explained later.

Then Kuroro raised her hand and the old man gestured for her to continue. "Then have you considered that some students may drop their grades on purpose?" She knew this because she would do it if the tutor is her… beloved.

He gave the same answer and then looked at Oishi and asked if he has a question, too. The boy shook his head.

"Okay then. As for the explanation… The thing is, the tutoring thing is just a cover." The old man declared and smiled slyly.

Ryoma's eye twitched.

_'Don't tell me this is one of those secret organization gigs.' _She mused anxiously. She did _not _want to be part of such... _eccentricities_.

"We'd like you to become _actual_ teachers." The three students blinked at and internally questioned the statements.

"Aren't we too… young?" The always-worried Oishi asks.

"You're not teaching peers. You're teaching children." The trio got even more confused.

"Then why did you get three from different year levels? Isn't it best to get seniors? Or even better, High school or university students?" Ryoma posed, a bit annoyed at where this was going. She's busy enough with tennis as well as making sure her music skills didn't get rusty… and now he's making her _teach?_

"And isn't this like implying that Japan lacks teachers?" She even stated with an accusing tone of voice, despite maintaining her almost indifferent facade.

The old man just shook his head and waved his hands. "Calm down, Echizen-chan. I understand why you're getting annoyed with this especially due to your 'situation', but please listen to what I have to say about your future students."

The two just raised their brows at the honorific and the 'situation' part. Ryoma kept silent.

"You'd be assigned an orphaned kid each. All of them had rather tragic childhoods... They are too traumatized to be adopted by adults, the way they are now. So we decided to let them live, for at most half-a-year, with children no more than 6 years their senior and slowly learn how to trust older adults…"

Ryoma didn't say anything. All of her questions were just answered.

That… and she simply didn't know what to say. She was partly glad to be able to help, albeit she didn't _exactly_ have a tragic childhood. It was mostly a happy one. Sure, she had her share of jerks and a few sad memories.

Okay, so she got kidnapped _once_… but she was rescued _before_ she even _knew_ what happened. And that's that. Only an idiot would think _that_ was tragic.

One could say that the arrogant Ryoma was not confident that she had the right to carry such a burden.

She looked at the other two, who seemed to be thinking similar thoughts.

The old man sensed the children's reluctance, and spoke firmly. "We chose Seigaku as the forerunner for this experiment. And we specifically chose the three of you to help us. We simply asked Tezuka and Fuji for formality, but we chose you three _specifically_ for your backgrounds. All of you also have exceptional intellects to boot."

"What do you mean by '_background_'?" She asked, perplexed. The man just smiled fondly. "We are assigning you children that you, specifically, can empathize with. That's what they need most after all."

She flinched. "I did _not_ have a traumatic childhood." She stated, offended, but then… looked at the other two. _'What about _them_?'_

She watched the two as they try to contemplate. She just stayed silent for a while.

"I did not say all of you had bad childhoods I just said that you'll be able to _understand _what causes them pain in the first place. Maa… You'll understand once you know them."

_Silence_

"We'll arrange for the best places available they could stay. We are also the ones to take care of all their basic needs. But unfortunately, they still distrust adults to formally go to a public school. So their formal education would have to wait until they're ready."

"AH!" He exclaimed remembering something important. "We already got your parent's consents." Ryoma sighed. Leave it to her parents to decide this kind of thing without her.

They decided to think about it for a while, occasionally asking each other's opinions.

And soon enough, they all agreed.

Akimoto clasped his hands in delight. "We'll be sending them to you within a month or so. Please be ready by then."

.

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**END OF CHAPTER VII**

_**Next:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER IX: Meeting the other regulars – Part 3!**

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**MintLeafeon** – Thank you for the review! But I would like to remind you that she was wearing those huge opaque eyeglasses when she first met them… so yeah… I'll cut my reply to that, I might spoil you. Hehehehhe

**Silverhrpie17 **– How could I? Thanks for the reminder! Lolz

**TwinkyLittleMe** – Haha. Thanks for the review and vote!

**Rfijblue **- Good thing cat has nine lives, ne? Thanks for the comment~! Ghaha!

**SighingWinter **– About the 'how Reina knows Atobe' question. I've put in some clues in a few chapters before (i.e. chapter 1)_ fufufufu._ You'll find out… eventually. Thanks for the comment~!

**Anon**- Wahaha. You would actually notice that I'm dragging it. I'm actually dragging this for as long as I can, which means as many filler chaps as I possible! . But I think I should be forgiven since I update practically every week. Thanks for the review!

**Body Horror **- Okay, OKAAAYY! Here it is! _Please don't kill me!_

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! In case you still don't know... the nicest thing you can do for me is giving me the pleasure of knowing what you thought!<br>**

**Please review.  
><strong>


	9. Meeting the Regulars III

**Please check out my other stories and/or fanarts when you find the time~! They're all in my profile.  
><strong>

And once again, I thank everyone who supported me this far!

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

"This is spoken language." | '_This is someone's thoughts.' | _'This is typed language'

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER IX: Meeting the other regulars- Part 3!<strong>

COURTS, AFTER SCHOOL PRACTICE

Echizen Ryoma walked to the courts with her co-student teacher, Oishi Suichiro, after the meal... consequently gaining them everyone's perplexed stares. She sighed and Oishi just chuckled nervously. They were invited by the minister for a snack inside the administrations office lounge. They all agreed, not knowing that the 'snack' would turn out to be a _buffet_.

After a few whispers and squeals, they mutually agreed to ignore them.

"You're pretty popular aren't you Senpai?" He smiled and replied. "So are you." Ryoma just smirked for an instant and then abruptly lowered her head.

"You're the vice-captain of the tennis team, right?" She asked monotonously.

"Yes. And you're going to be joining the club, no?" The raven-haired boy replied. She nodded at his assumption; it's the most probable explanation why a freshman would ask a senior member of the club to take him to the courts, after all.

But that's not what she wanted to ask. She wanted to ask if Tezuka and Fuji were there right now…. And how have they been these past few days. She didn't know how she would pretend _not _to know either of them, even when she was not entirely sure if Fuji was the Fuji she had met.

But when she thought about it, it was highly likely- even when the events _were_ rather astonishing.

But _if_ she was right, then what's happening really was _too _much of a coincidence...

She stared at nothing in particular and asked herself

'_Could you still even call it that?'_

**...**

"GAH! The regulars are SO _kewl_~!" Horio squealed as they watched the differently dressed boys flawlessly hitting all the balls to the baskets several meters away from them.

Mizuno Katsuo and Katou Kachiro stepped away from their embarrassing fellow freshman- even when they, too, were stunned to see that those kind of feats could actually be done by fellow middle-schoolers.

"Oi freshmen! Why are you just standing there? Go pick up some balls!" A scary-looking regular with a green bandanna hissed. They simultaneously yelped and quickly ran to do their job.

"Saa… Kaidoh sure is harsh…" Fuji said to his partner in sadism.

"Nothing new there." Inui stated apathetically. Fuji chuckled; he knew that the data man was never interested in anything old. He shrugged and looked around for no reason in particular.

"Oishi still isn't here?" He asked upon noticing, he knew Oishi had a meeting with some higher-up but that was a few hours ago. How long could such a meeting take?

"Nya~!" Eiji exclaimed looking at a certain direction. "I see him! He's with someone… someone _small_…"

They all turned at the human cat's line of sight. They didn't see anybody for a while, considering Eiji's eyesight. But eventually, they saw two figures talking to each other quite leisurely.

"EH? It's Ochibi, nya~!" Eiji shouted letting everyone, even Ryoma who also had exceptional hearing, hear. Her eyes twitched. She forgot that the human cat was on the team.

"Che." She muttered making Oishi tilt his head to her in confusion. "Is there anything wrong?" he asked. She replied with a sigh.

"Your doubles partner made me a rather annoying nickname." Oishi blinked and looked at his team who were all visibly gawking at them. "You met Eiji?"

"This morning. He was practicing his brainlessness." She stated lazily making Oishi uncharacteristically chuckle at the rude comment. He knew he didn't mean harm, besides what the boy said was more often true than not.

"It's Echizen!" Horio and Momo said out loud.

"Echizen…? You know him?" Kawamura asked. Inui was obviously pondering something while Fuji was looking wide eyed at the two boys and then shifted his gaze at the small figure walking with their fukubuchou.

'_Echizen…?' _He looked at the boy. He seemed really familiar, but Fuji knew he had never seen the boy before.

He noted that the newcomer was about the same height as _her. _He touched his chin and pondered. _'Could it be that they're relatives…?' _

He smiled at the thought.

He just got another reason to visit her. He was trying to find a lot of those lately. But he knew he shouldn't go to her house anytime soon. He knew that she _was _still too young; and not to mention that her father and brother were exceptionally over-protective of her.

Then, the new boy came close enough for him to see clearly.

He held his breath for an instant.

The boy _literally l_ooked like an angel! And those eyes… Fuji stared at the boy still chatting with Oishi. He could only get an occasional glimpse of his eyes. They held strength, he knew, and it was not because of the rare eye color.

'_His gaze could be stronger than mine.' _He mused, and then came an after thought.

'_Maybe it's as strong as _hers…' He chuckled internally.

Then, the boy seemed to have felt his gaze and turned to him. The boy's eyes widened only slightly.

But Fuji knew that he was shocked.

**...**

Several minutes passed, and Oishi finally noticed that everyone stopped what they were _supposed_ to be doing to watch him and their latest member chat. He immediately went to Tezuka-mode. Well... as authoritative as he could be, anyway.

"EVERYONE 20 LAPS AROUND THE COURTS FOR SLACKING!" He shouted in his manliest voice, and everyone dutifully followed (after their little groaning session). They knew they had to follow for once the captain found out they didn't, the number of laps would be doubled.

The raven-haired boy looked at Ryoma and smiled. "Gomen, Echizen-kun… For fairness, both of us have to run as well."

Ryoma just shrugged and put her tennis bag against the wall of the building. A boy of brown hair, a green headband, and a jealous expression watched her do this. He glared as soon as he had his back on him.

Arai Masashi disliked how Echizen Ryoma was getting all of the regulars' attention. The brat just came to the picture the previous day and his spot to be one of the regulars was made even more impossible than it already was.

He looked at him. Momo, Oishi-senpai, and Kikumaru-senpai were all talking to him with friendly faces they usually only show to fellow regulars. His anger got even worse.

Then something caught his peripheral vision. It was the bag he saw him put down earlier. A dark light bulb appeared above his head...

And he could not help but grin.

**...**

Ryoma tried to ignore the sharp stare of a certain blue-eyed senpai. She was only _half_-expecting that Fuji_ was_ glue-guy, but did she seem _that _shocked when she saw him? Certainly _not_.

She just knew she should've just ignored that stare earlier. Oishi-senpai was talking about something important that she was forced to ignore the strong ogle that was directed at her. She looked at the source right after her senpai finished his talking, and she saw someone she was not expecting to see… at least not _yet_.

'_Darnit!' _She mentally exclaimed as she felt an invisible arrow of suspicion hit her back but she ignored it and continued to run as if nothing happened.

Then another came.

'_GAH!' _She shouted internally and glared at its source who was feigning innocence, looking straight back at her. _'What? Is he trying to live up to his reputation or something?'_ She asked herself while looking at her friend who seemed to be wearing that _annoying_ mask even tighter that day.

"Che." She just muttered after noticing Momo was looking at her, mystified.

"What was that about?" He whispered. "What was what about? Nya~!" Eiji joined in using his evolved ears to hear the dialogue.

She was not in the mood for the two idiot's prying questions. She breathed deeply and then abruptly yelled, startling the two: "Oishi-senpai, Momochan-senpai and Eiji-senpai are _slacking off_~"

The two flinched and was immediately went to cover her mouth when-

"Momo and Eiji additional 20 laps!" Oishi shouted back to Tezuka-mode. The idiots simultaneously looked at him in terror.

"EEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh?"

**...**

Fuji could not help but chuckle at his teammates' antics.

After watching the two mutter and curse and tease Echizen. He continued to watch him with interest and curiosity. When the boy glared at him, he was taken aback. He was shocked to say the least. As far as he could remember, only one person could do that- and that's _her_.

Then he wondered how the other three got so close to him in the first place, and he felt a twinge of irritation to think that they all got friendly with the boy before him. Then abruptly realizing what he just mused, and he unconsciously scratched his neck.

_Why would he think like that, anyway?_

* * *

><p>"Ara?" Ryoma lethargically uttered in confusion. Oishi saw this and asked what was wrong.<p>

"My tennis bag. I know I put it right here." She replied pointing at a spot near the wall. _'How strange…'_

"Really? Then I'll help you look for it." Oishi smiled and Ryoma nodded in thanks. Oishi went to a different side of the wall and she went the other way.

"My, My…"An annoying voice arrogantly said. Ryoma looked at the direction of its source, and saw that it was a guy with a hair band. "Aren't you confident... not bringing your racket to practice?"

He smirked, and Ryoma glowered. The freshmen trio saw the exchange and looked at each other worriedly. Katsuo quickly ran to the nearest regulars, a tall guy with opaque glasses and a guy who looked like he had eternally closed eyes. The two teens followed, particularly interested in such issues.

When they reached the scene, the other two freshmen were now closer to the two figures glaring at each other. The two figures were Echizen Ryoma and Masashi Arai.

"What's going on here?" Inui asked feigning sincere concern. Fuji just stared.

Echizen looked at him and stated: "This guy stole my rackets."

"I did _not_, freshman! Do you have any proof?" The guy haughtily exclaimed.

"That's right Echizen, it is a very serious issue to accuse someone without evidence and motive." Inui stated professionally.

"He does have a motive. Echizen beat his scam yesterday." Katou said, and Ryoma blinked in remembrance.

"I did? Oh… that was you?" She said eyes a bit wider as she pointed a questioning finger at Arai. Arai, shocked that the boy _really _did forget about him, gritted his teeth.

The boy was _really _hitting all of his nerves-

"Teme-" He clenched his fist and readied to strike.

"ARAI." The familiar voice of a certain senpai called him, adopting a serious tone that Arai had never heard from him before. He froze as he saw the senpai glare at him with his intimidating blue eyes. It was the first time he saw it outside a match, and he felt that it was definitely a bad omen. He did not notice that more and more observers had arrived.

"A fight? What's happening Inui?" Oishi asked his teammate with a _very _anxious expression.

"Kouhai fight." The teen concisely replied.

"Eh?" Oishi blinked and looked at the people in the picture. _'Which ones? And... why does Fuji look like he's about to fight, too…? He's not a Kouhai…'_

"You two… Let's just let t-this issue go for now… I think…" Mizuno muttered, he knew Arai-senpai and Ryoma did not get along… And being a peace lover, he mustered all his courage to speak.

"Who are you?" Ryoma asked bluntly making Mizuno fall down in shock.

"W-We just met _yesterday_!" the poor freshman exclaimed as soon as he could speak.

"Do you remember _us, _Echizen?" Horio questioned, incredulous. Ryoma did _not _seem to be pretending to not know them.

"Did I meet you yesterday, too?" She replied stoically making the other two freshmen freeze.

"HAHAHA. That's just like Echizen. Full of surprises." Momo laughed, who just got there, witnessed the last parts of the amusing conversation. Then, a thought came to his head and out of curiosity, he asks:

"Ne, Echizen. What's my name?"

"What kind of question is that Momochan-senpai…?" She asked, offended. Now, why would he ask _that_?

Momo snickered at his friend's weirdness, and then whipped his head to a senpai who started muttering things.

"Ehhh… He's exceptionally bad with names and faces that didn't make an impact…" He uttered and adjusted his glasses by the nose, before writing on a brand-new notebook. "82% chance that he gets lost often."

Fuji blinked at the statement, disbelieving. "How do you know that, Inui?" He asked somewhat hopeful, but for _what_, he wasn't so sure.

"Are you familiar with the different components of the brain?" He questioned in the 'nerdiest' way possible.

"No..." Fuji answered.

"Do you want to know?" he replied with eyeglasses glimmering more than ever.

"…Not really…" He did _not_ want to hear those things from Inui, especially when he was wearing that smirk- even _Fuji Syusuke_ had his limits. And the reply visibly disappointed the other.

"Then, don't ask."

Fuji chuckled. A lot of interesting things had been popping up since the boy's arrival. And given that Inui probably wouldn't speak, it seemed like he had to 'observe' the boy himself, as well...

He smirked.

_How interesting..._

**...**

Several minutes of a collective warm-up session later, Oishi announced a free-play session. A junior scoffed evilly in amusement, especially after he saw his target.

"Oi, freshman. I found this nice little racket that suits you… You know, since you lost your old one." The older boy grinned as he showed Ryoma a _very_ old-looking racket that seemed at_ least_ twice as old as her.

"You should thank me. What about playing a game? Since you're so confident not to bring your _own _racket, anyway. This shouldn't be a problem, no?"

Ryoma kept silent. She knew very well what this boy was planning. She closed her eyes to keep herself calm.

She just hated this kind of people the most.

"Fine." She grinned evilly back at him as soon as she opened her eyes. The boy flinched.

'_I'll destroy that misplaced ego of yours…_

… _and you better be prepared.'_

* * *

><p><span>FACULTY ROOM<span>

Ryuzaki Sumire watched the ongoing match through the window of the faculty room. She was talking to herself for quite some time now, but she didn't really care since there was no one else in the room but her. "Eh..." she chuckled.

"Only a few shots and she already got the hang of it." She said, amused, as she watched her protégé's daughter crush an arrogant senpai. "Poor Arai. His self-esteem must be close to zero now." She smirked. _'...maybe it'll turn negative if he finds out he's getting pummeled by a GIRL.'_

Her evil thoughts were cut by a knock on her door. "Come in." She said without looking, she knew who it was- she was waiting for him, after all.

"Sorry I'm late, Sensei. I already have the outline for the distribution of players for the ranking tournaments." The coach just nodded, she knew how busy the boy was. A moment of silence passed and Tezuka decided to point out his teacher's mood.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Ryuzaki-sensei." He commented, as stoic as always.

"Ah…" She laughed then raised her hand and asked him to come closer. "I was watching Arai get pummeled by a newcomer in a tennis match."

He elegantly raised his eyebrows as he walked closer. "Aren't you supposed to be reacting oppositely, sensei?"

She laughed like a female Santa. "Maybe I should, but I know this kid since he was a baby. He's a really good player. Watch, and you can decide whether we'll make an exception for this freshman to join the tournaments."

He just sighed and did what he was told. Then, he saw the boy his coach was talking about.

Something twitched in his brain.

"..."

Ryuzaki sensed the surprised silence and tilted her head to look at her student.

She cringed. She was _very _shocked at what she was suddenly seeing. She closed her eyes and opened it again to see if she wasn't just imaging things, and she wasn't.

Tezuka Kunimitsu _rarely_ widened his eyes, and when he did it only lasted for about a fraction of a second.

Normally, only very observant people who knew him well would see that he was startled. But now even the extremely dense Eiji and Momo could see that his captain was in shock.

Tezuka was oblivious of the coach's stare. His eyebrows met, as if he was confused, which he probably _was_. And his eyes weren't calming down- looking as if he was incredulous at whatever it was he was seeing.

Sumire followed his line of sight. Other than Reina there was nothing really out-of-place.

'_Reina?'_ she looked at the girl and then looked at Tezuka. Sumire felt very intrigued.

'_What's going on here?'_

**...**

Tezuka continued to stare at the new comer as a number of thoughts simultaneously appeared in his head.

'_Why is _she_ here?'_

'_Other than their height they're exact opposites… So why am I so _sure _that it's HER?' _he asks himself, and himself dutifully replied.

'_Well... they're not exactly opposites. Even when their play styles are different there is definitely a similarity in their movements… his presence is almost like _hers,_ too… _

_...and not to mention their effect on you…'_ His eyes twitched at the last though, and he immediately shook it away.

'_Logically speaking, I should be imagining things… She _has_ been appearing much too often in my head these past few days, anyway. So this kind of illusion is not improbable at all. '_

'_Yes, that should be it.'_

'_Then, why am I so unconvinced?'_

His incoherent thoughts were interrupted by his teacher waving her hands like crazy in front of his face.

"S-Sensei?" He managed to utter trying to remain as composed as he could.

"Is there anything wrong?" He slowly shook his head. The old woman frowned obviously knowing that he was lying.

She then pointed at the boy. "Do you know him? I thought you didn't watch 'non-grand slam' level American tournaments?"

"I don't." He answered bluntly not knowing what could be the connection.

"Then how do you know him? Have you met him before?" Ryuzaki continued her interrogation, a bit skeptical of that scenario. Reina only got there in Japan a few days ago, after all...

"No." He said listlessly. He was not _exactly_ lying… for he, himself, was unsure as to what to think.

"His name is Echizen Ryoma." She stated surprising him again, although this time he was able to catch himself much quickly.

"Echizen…" He looked below. _'Could they be twins? Maybe that explains why he feels too familiar.'_

Ryuzaki seeing her student is starting to ponder again asked: "Do you know something I didn't tell you?"

He blinked taking note of her choice of words. He sighed and answered.

"Is he related to Echizen Reina?"

The teacher's eyes widened in surprise. "H-How'd you -?"

"I met her a few days ago in the tennis courts." He said now back to his normal, calm self. Then, he repeated his earlier question: "Sensei, how are those two related? Are they twins?"

Ryuzaki smiled. Even when he looked like his usual self, she knew that he was uncharacteristically eager to know. "First I'd like to ask why you ask why you'd come to that deduction so quickly. They could be cousins or even unrelated for all you know…"

"Aa.." He stared down the window again. "I don't know sensei. Even when the person I met was a left-handed girl with glasses, I can't seem to shake the feeling off that _she_ is the one on the courts right now." He frowned. "Their play styles aren't even that similar. So I doubt I assumed from there."

When he turned to look at his coach to ask what she thought about his odd predicament, his eyes twitched again at the old woman's expression.

It was odd. Her face told him she was shocked. But it was also happy, proud, and scheming- all at the same time.

And that was what Sumire was really feeling... in a sense.

'_He actually recognized her?'_ she mused incredulously._ 'How is that even possible, the two personas are polar opposites in appearance!'_ then she recalled how his eyes changed at the mention of Reina. For a moment she thought of telling him the truth but quickly changed her mind. It was Reina's secret to tell, not hers.

Besides, if she did spoil him…

Where was the fun in_ that?_

"Sensei?" Tezuka asked worried for his old coach.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." She said calmly after wiping her a few tears that actually came out. She cleared her throat before asking him, "Do you know the saying 'Twins are each other's half'?"

He nodded, and she smirked.

"Then if you believe that saying, then I'd say YES… They _are_ twins."

* * *

><p>ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD, A few hours later<p>

After dinner Reina noticed that her brother and Karupin were glaring at each other. "What's wrong with those two?" She asked Nanako, who in turn shook her head. Reina blinked and turned back to the enemies then in their pre-wrestling stage. Her eyes twitched when one of them suddenly whipped his head to her direction.

Ryoga gritted his teeth. "Reina. Can you _please _discipline your cat?" he implored. He seriously would have done it himself- if _only_ he didn't know he'll see hell if he did so. Reina, on the other hand, crossed her arms.

"Nani? What'd he do?"

"He shredded my _most favorite_ and _most EXPENSIVE_ shirt this morning." He exclaimed trying his best not to strangle the cat.

"You did?" She looked innocently at her cat that just looked cutely back at her. "Are you sure? Karupin is a very smart cat. He wouldn't do that without any reason."

"You're taking his side?" He cried. "I-I thought you loved me?"

"Urusai, aniki." She said stoically and as she picked her cat up. "How much is that shirt anyway?"

"$500" He said as a matter-of-factly. Reina's eyes widened. "Oi, Oi. I know you love your collection of clothing but did mom and dad _really _allow you to spend that much money on a _shirt?_" She asked skeptically. '_How many Pontas can you buy with that?'_

Ryoga stared at her for a second, thinking whether or not he should tell her. He shrugged, it's not like he could lie to her anyway.

"I forced Keigo to buy it for me for my birthday." He replied coolly. Reina blinked.

"Now, that's just taking advantage of a rich friend." She frowned.

Ryoga looked on the floor."Er… He got some… incentive."

"Incentive?" Reina questioned, a bit curious. But Ryoga just yawned out-of-the-blue. "Maaaannnn… I'm sleepy. Night kiddo!" He said, kissed her forehead, and swiftly ran to his room.

She frowned, suspiciously looking at the direction her brother went.

_'He's hiding something.'_

She gaped at Karupin. "You know something, don't you?" she smiled and he meowed, affirming her suspicions. But instead of prying, she shrugged. It was too troublesome to be nosy, and she'll find out eventually anyway. So she petted him and she proceeded to her room.

As she entered her room, she looked at the clock. She still had half-an-hour before her bed time, so she decided to open her desktop. She stared at the screen immediately after opening her email.

Tezuka emailed her. She gulped in anticipation and clicked the mail.

'You didn't tell me you had a twin brother.' She blinked. _'Twin brother?' _She asked herself in confusion before remembering the events earlier in the day. Sumire-baasan must have told him that.

She looked at the time it was sent. It said '1 minute ago.'

She automatically unset the 'invisible' status in her mail, and saw that he's online.

"Do I chat with him?" She asked herself, not knowing what to do. If she _did_, she'd have to lie to him.

Her stomach suddenly turned in guilt. She did not want to lie to him, not ever. But she wanted to ask him how he was doing… with all the work he had to do and all… and those handful of teammates that he had...

She looked at his name on the screen, thinking whether to click it or not.

"_PING!" _The speaker suddenly voiced out. She cringed at the window that popped out.

'Konbanwa, Echizen-san.' Reina just looked at the screen for a moment with her fingers hovering over the keyboard.

"To answer or not to answer…?"

'Good evening, Tezuka-san.' She answered.

'Did you receive my e-mail?' 

'Hai. I… forgot to tell you about him. I didn't think you'd be too interested anyway since I didn't know he'd go to your school.' She slapped herself for lying to him.

'Aa… It's fine if that's the case.'

'Can I ask how you found out about him in the first place?'

'From Ryuzaki-sensei. He's joining the tennis club'

'I see…'

'What about you? You didn't go to Seigaku with your brother? You'll be great player to have at our school.' 

'Ah… my parents prefer me homeschooled.' _Twitch_

'Because of your over-protective family?'

'Hai…' _Twitch_

'Are you alright?' _Twitch __Twitch __Twitch_

'_How'd he-_'

'Uhmm… Why did you ask that all of a sudden Tezuka-san…?'

'You just don't seem like yourself tonight.'

'_Shikusoooooo… Tezuka-san, you're not helping me here!' _She shouted at him internally. '_I don't like this feeling at all_.' She glowered. '_If this continues I'd blurt everything out.' _

'I'm fine.' she typed reluctantly.

It wasn't that she never planned to tell the team. She just wanted to take time and let them know her skills and make sure they are comfortable around her even when they find out. She didn't want to be underestimated because of her sex and she didn't want them to be awkward during training because of that as well…

"Any more and my remorse will eat me alive." She whispered. _'I have to change the topic.' _

She pondered for a bit and begun typing.

And fortunately even as the stoic people that they were, they could still be quite talkative with selected people. Both of them knew that, considering how comfortable they were during their day together.

But apparently, they could be even more talkative when they _type_.

Everyone knew there were many shy people who turn chatty when they're in front of a keyboard or keypad. But if one thought about it, neither of the two should be one of those people- Neither of them were shy, after all; they simply didn't like to talk.

And both of them knew this fact.

But at the moment, they didn't really mind making exemptions.

*A Few Hours Later*

Reina looked at the clock. It said 12:02 am. She let out a yawn.

"Time sure does run fast…"

'Just tell me if you're sleepy, it is already late…'

'Thanks for your time, Tezuka-san.'

'No problem. But before you go can I ask a question?'

'Sure.'

'Why'd you suddenly change the topic?'

'I did?' She replied, nervously trying to feign innocence.

'Yes, you did. But if you don't like my prying…'

She stared at the screen and sighed deeply. She _really _wanted to tell him…

'_Why not?'_ She abruptly asked herself. _'If it's him… I mean, he already knows about my skills and my gender already anyway…'_

She gulped and watched the screen for a moment again.

'Echizen?' 

She smiled at the obvious concern of her senpai. She clenched her fist and decisively told herself:

'_I guess I should tell him...'_

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER IX**

_**Next:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER X: Confrontations**

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**Blueberryxn -** THANK YOU FOR THE COMMENT!

**SighingWinter** - It's been barely 2 days since I uploaded the previous chapter, you know... Come on~ Tell me I'm _nice_. Gahaha_haaa_! TY for the comment~

**MintLeafeon** - Thanks for the comment~ I think it's good she's doing something good, too. HAHHA

**The MIB's** - Tezuka won the votes. So the official pairing is the Pillar pair.

* * *

><p><strong>I would loooove to hear (or read, rather) your thoughts!<br>**


	10. Confrontations

**Thank you to everyone who took the time to review, please don't stop! I hope many others would start reviewing as well. :D****  
><strong>

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER X: Confrontations<strong>

ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD**  
><strong>

It was already a few minutes into Wednesday but two young souls had yet to sleep. Both of them were staring at the computer screen as if it could kill them anytime.

'Are you alright, Echizen-san?' Tezuka asked her again, making her flinch. She breathed deeply and readied herself.

'Ano, Tezuka-san… Do you mind if I extend our conversation for a little while longer?' She typed half-hoping that he would refuse.

'I don't. What's bothering you?' came his swift reply. She palmed her face. _It's now or never._

'I need to tell you something important.'

'Yes?'

She gulped. '…In person.' 

The reply took a little more time than the others. She sighed. Was she asking for too much? Maybe so… She knew she could tell him at school but she wanted to tell him the truth as 'Reina' and not as 'Ryoma'. She also knew how busy Tezuka was so she thought, if by some miracle he agreed, they would meet on a weekend.

'Okay… when?' She felt a smile creep onto her face.

' Uhmm… Are you available this Saturday?'

'Saturday?' She imagined his tone of voice and was disappointed.

'You're not available…?'

'That's not it…'

'Hn?' She just types having no idea what to reply.

'You're home-schooled, right?' She didn't answer. It was another one of her lies, after all.

But another message came anyway.

'Do you have classes today?' She blinked. _'Pardon?'_

'Why are you asking?'

'Is it alright if we meet today?'

'What time?' She asked him and looked at the time, perplexed, and he replied almost immediately.

'Half an hour from now.'

**...**

TEZUKA HOUSEHOLD

Tezuka Kunimitsu stared at his screen for a minute.

'_What was I_ thinking_?'_ He asked himself -incredulous- of his own actions. When she told him she wanted to meet in person he could have sworn he stood up. It took him quite a few moments to compose himself that time, especially thankful for the anonymity the screen gave.

In any case, he honestly wanted to punch himself for making such a ridiculous suggestion. He didn't know what he was thing, _if_ he was actually thinking…

Maybe it was because he felt that waiting for _four_ more days was out of the question. He massaged his forehead feeling another headache. What kind of impression did he just give? A part of him did not want to know, while the other was eager to find out.

He was about to start lecturing himself again when her reply came.

_Doki_

'Okay.'

* * *

><p><span>TEMPLE, several minutes later<span>

They decide to meet at the back of the temple, where the courts were located. She dressed up in a simple casual get-up and put her glasses on. She decided to keep them on until she composed herself in front of Tezuka for her big 'revelation'.

'_What if he hates me?'_ She flinched at the abrupt idea. She didn't know why the idea of him, specifically, hating her made her uncharacteristically scared.

It was so weird how she, usually full of confidence, could feel so insecure.

Well, was it odd? Tezuka was her friend, after all. Disappointing people that mattered was one of the few fears she ever developed.

She quickly shook her head of the thought; it was just making her even _more_ nervous.

She heaved a sigh. _'Whatever happened I won't regret it.'_ She told herself with conviction and headed down to their meeting place.

**...**

Tezuka stared at the stairs where he last saw Reina only a few days ago, but it certainly felt much longer to him. He wondered if he should really be doing something this... _unconventional_. For someone who was raised to follow traditions, he was certainly being brave. Who in the world asks someone to meet with him at _1am in the morning_? And to actually follow through with it made his self-image even more blurred.

He exhaled, as if the air he intakes will help him remain calm, and slowly climbed up the staircase.

Soon enough he neared the back of the temple. He was surprised; he didn't know there was a tennis court in her house and its right beside the temple bell, too.

'_What an interesting home…' _he smiled internally as he looked around, and then allowed for an after thought,

'… _just like the people who live in it.'_

After a few minutes of walking, he neared his destination.

He paused. She was the first person he saw. She was sitting idly on the porch... deep in thought. She looked even prettier under the moonlight, he mused. She had her hair down and she had a peaceful expression despite her apparent worries and lack of sleep.

Tezuka gazed at her wanting to know what she was thinking about. He wanted to watch her a little longer but she was a very alert girl, it didn't take her long to notice him there. A light shade of pink crawled to her cheeks because of surprise. He chuckled internally; even _he_ had to admit it was cute.

She swiftly stood up and went in front of him. "Konbanwa, Echizen-san." He said.

"Isn't it morning already?" She asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Aa. That's right." He cleared his throat. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Echizen-san." He repeated getting both of them to chuckle lightly.

"Ohayou gozaimasu, Tezuka-san." She smiled, and then as if remembering something frowned and looked at the dirt. "I'm sorry for troubling you…"

"I'm the one who proposed the bothersome arrangement, Echizen-san. So there's no need to apologize. Just tell me what's troubling you and I'll do my best to help." He said looking as languid as usual, but Reina knew that he is genuinely concerned.

"I especially like you, Tezuka-san. You're a good friend. So… I don't want to lie to you...no... Actually, for some reason I _can't_." She said as she unconsciously scratched her cheeks as she tried to think of the next words.

Tezuka, on the other hand, just stared at her for a while. The three different sentences she just said roused three different emotions altogether. He had yet to understand what they were precisely, the way he was now, but he nevertheless managed to keep his calm. He searched his head for a reply when he saw that her left palm was wounded. It seemed a few days old.

"Was that there when we met?" He asked pointing at her palm. She shook her head. "I got it Sunday morning."

"When will it heal?" He inquired, uneasy.

"The doctor said probably a week or so…"

"I see… That means you couldn't play for another week." He stated, relieved that the wound wasn't particularly serious.

"Not exactly. I'm ambidextrous, you see."

"Aa. That's good to hear." He smiled before it hit him. _'The new member he saw the day before was using his right hand—' _he considered but he quickly stopped himself before he makes a delusional assumption.

"Now… about my twin…" She muttered, wanting to get it over with, effectively getting Tezuka's attention.

"I don't have one."

**...**

A long, terrifying (for Reina), moment of silent passed after she told him that _she_ was Ryoma. She stared at him for a moment, and he did the same- albeit deep in thought.

"I see…" Tezuka uttered and he did not show a hint of emotion. What could he say? He wasn't really surprised. Even when he dismissed the seemingly illogical thoughts he had, deep inside he believed them to be true. In fact, if he was feeling anything it was delight. He was happy that Reina chose to tell him and him _alone_.

But Reina, who was scared by his lack of reaction quickly bowed and apologized. _'Please don't hate me. Please don't hate me. Please don't hate me.' _She chanted repeatedly in her head.

Tezuka chuckled, making Reina lift her head in surprise. "S-Senpai…?" She asked in confusion, but the perplexity was instantaneously replaced by relief upon seeing her friend's smile. He patted her head to help her calm down… assuming that getting her red was calming.

"It's fine, Reina." He said. "I knew."

She blinked and asked hopefully "H-How?"

He initially didn't answer, primarily because he didn't understand it himself.

"It's hard to explain. It just felt like you were the same person, I suppose." He stated, he knew it was an unbelievable explanation and he didn't expect her to believe him, albeit he undeniably wanted her to.

"Y-You _recognized_ me?" She asked him with a grin that caught him off-guard. She was so happy that someone recognized her, he could tell. He suddenly felt a sense of pride and joy sweep through him.

He just made her happy… and in a way that nobody else had.

**...**

"One-game match, then." Reina agreed when Tezuka challenged her. After telling him the gist (which meant leaving certain embarrassing details out) of why she cross-dressed, her senpai decided to help her train.

He told her that the regulars were not to be underestimated. She couldn't use her dominant hand, so he wanted to gauge her skills with her right. He wanted her to be ready for the ranking tournaments in two days.

He decided to use his right hand as well.

"You don't have to use your right you know, Tezuka." She said. They seemed to have had an unspoken agreement that they at least slash the honorifics when they're alone, since she probably wouldn't call him that in front of other people. Not only would that be embarrassing, it could lower how some of the club members would look at him as well.

He smirked and stated "You're not the only one who is ambidextrous, Echizen."

She laughed as she dribbled the ball with her racket. "Guess not…"

And so, she served.

* * *

><p>*5 hours later<em>*<em>

"WAaiii~ WAaiii~ Kawa_iii_~" Meino Nanako squealed silently as she watched the two figures sleeping peacefully under the Sakura tree in their backyard.

The mysterious boy had his back on the trunk, his right feet arched for comfort while his left was being burdened by the weight of her cousin; her head was conveniently placed on the boy's broad shoulders as his left hand supported her back, even when he was in deep slumber.

They looked so peaceful, sweet, and just plain _cute _that she couldn't stop herself from squealing again.

_CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!_

She blinked at the sound of a camera which came-out-of-nowhere now going around and taking pictures of the two in different angles.

It was her aunt wearing a _very_ sly expression on her face. But unfortunately, not too long afterwards, Rinko could no longer muffle her held back squeals.

And so… the two woke up in a rather… _uncomfortable_ situation.

**...**

Reina's sleep that day was exceptionally comfortable for some reason… her bed was warm, comfortable, and _alive_. Maybe she could sleep like that forever.

'_But isn't that a bit _morbid_?' _She asked herself, half-asleep, slowly woken up by all the clicking sounds she kept hearing.

Then the clicks were suddenly followed by a squeal that came out of nowhere.

She instantaneously opened her eyes and livened up- only to see herself in an embarrassing position over her buchou. She looked up to his face, he just woke up as well. He looked at her with his eyes smiling, catching her by surprise.

She quickly crawled away from him and repeatedly apologized, trying desperately to hide her embarrassment.

'_How the heck did I get there, anyway?'_

Tezuka, on the other hand, simply changed positions to face her. "No need to apologize. You fell asleep immediately after our game, which I suggested."

"I didn't know where your room was and I was tired myself, so I positioned us in the most comfortable way I could think of." He added, even when he can barely feel his left leg.

Reina blushed in mortification. _'Who falls asleep just like that, anyway! And on _Tezuka-buchou, _too! Shikusooo...'_

Then upon mentally slapping herself, she noticed the two female figures watching them with eerily amused eyes. One of them is even holding a digital camera. Oh God-

She cursed all over again.

* * *

><p>Tezuka, it seemed, was a very fortunate man for the boys of the house had a star wars movie-marathon the previous night. It was obvious that they won't be waking up any time soon to torment him, as Rinko-san would say.<p>

"I don't want to impose." He stated looking at Reina's mother as she tried to convince him to eat breakfast with them.

"It's fine! I heard you helped her train. And at such a godly hour, too! So this is the least we could do." Rinko said pushing him inside. Tezuka looked at Reina for help, but she just beamed making _him_ fell powerless.

And so he sat there to eat with the family.

"Gochisousama." The teens said in chorus after finishing their lovely meals, approximately half an hour later.

"Aa...I'll be off then. I have to get ready for school." Tezuka said with minimum sentiment. Reina nodded and stood up to see him out but Rinko interrupted her.

"Ah, Reina. You should get ready now as well… I'll see Tezuka-san out." She said and Reina followed.

"See you at school then, Buchou." She said and waved a short goodbye.

PORCH

"Thank you for having me, Echizen-san." Tezuka politely said.

"It was not a problem. It's just a good thing the boys aren't awake yet to ruin everything." She smiled and then asked out of the blue: "Tezuka, do you have an email address?"

He nodded. The woman grinned.

"You want me to send the photos to you?"

Tezuka blinked, taken aback. And not because of the blunt offer. What surprised him is his reluctance to reject the idea.

"No, thanks Echizen-san. I don't have any reason to keep them." He managed to state firmly, just as what you'd expect him to...hiding his shaken state well.

How could he _waver_… and how could he _regret _refusing such an offer? His good mood was immediately transformed to its complete opposite. He involuntarily clenched his fist at the thoughts that were appearing in his head. Images of all of those misbehavior he committed passed above him and he immediately frowned at himself in disapproval.

Rinko blinked at the sudden change in atmosphere. She just waited for him to say something. But he didn't, Rinko could note the confusion and fear in his eyes. She sighed, pitying the poor boy for the type of mentality that must've been pounded onto him.

"Acceptance makes things easier, you know." She stated, making Tezuka gape at her in puzzlement.

"Is there anything you want to say?" He asked, sounding his usual self.

"There are a lot of things I'm trying to say, but I'm afraid you have to find out what they are for yourself."

_Silence_

They continued to just stand there. Tezuka's expression became unfathomable, while Rinko observed him. The silence was broken by Tezuka abruptly taking his leave, mechanically repeating what he said.

"I have to go now, Echizen-san. Thank you for having me."

* * *

><p><span>SCHOOL COURTS, BEFORE CLASS<span>

"Saa… don't you think Tezuka's emitting a different atmosphere than usual?" Fuji asked Inui as they ran their laps. Other than him, only Inui could notice their captain's almost imperceptible mood swings. His expression was blank. It's like he was in a daze. Fuji never thought he could even do that.

"Yeah. Judging by his minuscule eye bags and the position of his eyelids, he'd have even_ less _sleep than yesterday." He muttered with his eyebrows meeting in mystification. He said that, but he doubts their captain's lack of sleep made him that way.

Inui then said, without looking away from their captain. "Should we confront him?"

"No." Fuji replied swiftly. "I don't think he'll talk."

They smirked simultaneously.

"If he doesn't talk…" Inui muttered as his glasses shimmered. Fuji grinned even wider.

"…then _we'll_ just have to find out for ourselves."

**...**

Tezuka told himself 'Don't let your guard down' for who knew how many times each day. But now that he realized it, his guard was rarely set when he was with _her_. He managed to keep his habitual stoic face and state of calm, but she was touching him from the inside.

What was he supposed to 'accept'? That he, of all people, would have a weakness...? Was that even an option?

He finally realized that he vulnerable when he was with her. He knew that now. Yes, he became weak.

He frowned in disdain.

'_This _has_ to stop.' _He forced to himself.

But it seemed that those memories have a way on making themselves play.

_-Flashback-_

"_You win, again." She muttered somewhat bitterly as she went closer to the net when he did. He smiled as they shook hands. "It was still an impressive game, you know."She nodded in agreement._

"_Aa… I'm a bit concerned though; do you always play with your right hand as Ryoma?"He asked, she shook her head and told him that she usually uses her left with people who deserve it. He nodded in approval._

"_Where'd you get Ryoma's playing style? It's different from Reina's." He stated._

"_Why do you say so?" She asked him, intrigued. She knew about the difference in techniques... due to various reasons, but the play style..? Her father used to talk about it a lot, especially when she returned to using the style she learned from him, but-  
><em>

"_It is. Ryoma's seemed… somewhat unoriginal. No offense." He said. _

"_None taken." She replied but went back to contemplation; Tezuka noted that her eyelids are starting to close."Hmmm… I don't quite understand yet, but it feels like you have a point..."  
><em>

_Tezuka looked at her eyes and declining posture. He mentally sneered. _

_She was half-asleep._

_And as if by impulse, he wrapped his arms around her for fear she might fall down. But when he realized his humiliating actions, he quickly softened his hold and was about to apologize when he saw…_

…_that she was already sleeping._

_...  
><em>

_Several minutes of looking for a good spot to let her lay, he suddenly felt much groggier than before. He was already very tired, and so he could only carry her so far. He thought about the little building where the bell was located, but the floor was much too hard. It would be very uncomfortable for Reina. Anywhere but a bed would do, he concluded._

_And so he decided to let that bed be _him_._

_He positioned himself at the trunk of the Sakura tree near the courts. She placed her tiny body to sit on his left leg and let her head rest on his shoulders. He removed his glasses as well as hers so he could place them on another side of the tree. _

_But he was instantaneously frozen after doing so. If he wasn't so used to keeping his emotions intact, he was sure he would've gasped. Saying she's gorgeous would be an understatement. He shook his head of the thoughts, he must be really tired. He unconsciously watched her breathe for a while and involuntarily smiled at the peaceful expression she wore. _

_He instinctively brought her closer, placed his neck over her head…and went into a blissful sleep, himself._

_-End of flashback-_

He didn't notice that he was smiling the whole time. He immediately returned to his usual façade the moment he realized. He slowly looked around to see if anyone had noticed. Everyone was busy with their own little activities. No one was looking at him, he concluded, and he let out a sigh of relief.

It turned out, though… that it was a premature celebration.

"Ii. Data." One of his friends muttered as he stood at an upper floor, just above his line of sight…

…grinning like there was no tomorrow.

* * *

><p>"Echizen-kun isn't here?" Mizuno asked Horio who just shrugged. He wanted to ask him how he got so good in tennis.<p>

It was Momo who answered the freshman's question. "He's the assigned cleaner for a whole week. Buchou and coach seem to know about it already, too. They didn't look like they're looking for him…" He said nonchalantly staring at the bored-looking woman and a blank-faced captain.

He was pretty relaxed… until he suddenly felt shivers on his back. He instinctively turned around.

"Ehh…How come you know that, Momo?" An eternally smiling senpai asked.

"He was with me during the t-time. He was lost when I found him walking around our floor." He stuttered at the sudden full-opening of his senpai's eyes.

"Senpai?" He asked, a bit worried but mostly just nervous. The said upperclassman just shook his head and slipped back into his usual facade.

"Do you know what his classroom is, Momo?"

"It's 1-A, right below our classroom Fujiko. Nya~" Eiji said appearing out of thin air. Fuji blinked. "And you know this _how_, Eiji?" He said coolly, so the densest of the regulars could not notice the coldness in his voice.

"Ah, he was the one who caught your phone when I dropped it. He got me to jump reaaally high to get it! Nya~"

A brow twitched and Fuji turned his head to Eiji in a creepy robotic way (again) making Eiji shriek in fear. He was expecting Fuji to force him to eat another batch of his precious wasabi sushi when he, instead, just asked him to tell the captain that he needs to go to class earlier today.

Eiji nodded and he watched his friend walk swiftly towards the main building.

* * *

><p><span>1-A<span>

Ryoma was peacefully arranging the flowers when she suddenly heard the door slide. _'Isn't it a bit early for them to come?' _She asked herself irritably and ignored the intruders. Well, at least until she noticed that it wasn't one of her classmates.

He was standing there frowning as he stared at her. _'Fuji-san?'_ She tilted her head in puzzlement.

Then, the boy smiled his plastered smile and walked towards Reina. "Ohayou, Echizen-san. I came here because I remembered that I haven't introduced myself." He then said his name as he lifted his left hand for a handshake. But to her surprise, Fuji's cerulean eyes abruptly showed themselves. "Fuji-san…?" She called just before a sudden realization hit her.

She was using her left hand.

"So, mind telling me why you're cross-dressing?" Fuji interrogated as he looked straight into her amber eyes. It was so magnetic that, once you mustered the courage to look at it, would take great effort to break away from it.

'_Is that why she developed such a strong glare?'_He gladly mused to himself. _'If so, then I am starting to understand her better.'_ He smiled at the thought. _'After all, she was reading _me _like an open book.'_

The girl closed her eyes before staring at the floor, she replied coolly."It's just more comfortable that way."

'_No surprise there.' _He thought. He continued to stare at her.

"What?" She asks, wanting him to actually say something.

"You're still so hard to read even without those glasses. What's with that stoic mask of yours?" He asked, but he was already formulating his own theories. One of the most probable reasons is that showing emotions will make you look vulnerable... and hence more approachable. Ryoma obviously disliked that.

She sneered. "I'd like to ask you the same question."

Fuji stared at her, unflinching. She gazed back, sighed, and continued… "I'm sorry for hiding it from you. You're mad, aren't you?"

He blinked. He _was _mad, although he just realized it when she pointed it out. It was true that he was a bit annoyed at her not telling him, but there was another reason he got mad.

It's the fact that t_hey_ are acting a tad _too_ friendly with her.

He lectured himself at being too possessive of a girl he just met. It's just that she was such a rare entity that he simply did not want to share. He pondered what to do for an instant, and replied almost taking out his mask.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

But then he stopped himself from completely taking out his facade... Even when he knew she would see mostly through it. He actually likes his 'status' to some degree now that he's had it for years.

No, scratch that.

He wasn't ready to let it go yet. Or rather… He thought he didn't deserve to, yet.

So he quickly put his usual front on consequently getting Reina to raise a brow.

"I assume that you're going to uphold the reputation you told me about…?" She asked, a bit puzzled as to why he kept presenting himself as someone he wasn't, but just let it go. After all, Fuji must have had his own reasons- just like she did.

He grinned and went closer to her. "Saa… You know, I'd have to punish you."

She looked at him apathetically at first but her eyes widened at a certain idea of _what_ that punishment could be.

'_Don't let it be about Karupin. Don't let it be about Karupin. Don't let it be about Karupin.'_ She prayed getting Fuji to smirk. He knew _precisely_ what could make her so frantic.

"Let Diego stay with me for a month."

"..."

She froze. And as Fuji watched her reaction in amusement, he remembered a very disconcerting discovery he needed to confirm.

"Ah. By some chance, before you answer, did you look into a phone that wasn't yours?"

"Why would I do that?" she asked him in puzzlement. _'And why would he do this to me and Karupin!?'_

"Oh, nothing..." he shrugged. He then leaned a little closer and smirked.

"So... what do you say?"

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER X**

_**Coming soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XI:** **Ryoma becomes a regular!**

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **NO! The ending is _not_ a cliffhanger. Hahaha. That's really the end of the chapter. And Tezuka's little resolution there meant they wouldn't be dating any time soon.

* * *

><p><strong>Replies to angels:<strong>

**Yoruko Rhapsodos** - Lolz. Yeah, I agree with you for the most part... But it isn't _that_ fun to write cliffies, I feel the urge to update immediately... which is not that good an idea. Thanks for the review~!

**SoulSilverShipping** - Haha. It turned out well for her, ne? I think... Haha. Thanks for the comment and support for Reina!

**The MIB's** - Yes, but don't you think there's something special about her not being able to lie to him specifically? Thanks for the comment~!

**MintLeafeon** - *Hands over a bag of Ice* Please don't do that.*smirks* At least this chapter is not a cliffhanger, ne? HAha. Thanks for the great reaction!

**Hikaru** - Ah, you better start guessing on what Keigo's part there is since I won't be stating it 'explicitly' for a while. I did put on several clues on a number of preceding chapters, though. I mentioned his 'role' in chapter 1 and 8(I think) but did not associate his name onto it. HAha. I just basically answered your question! Thanks for the review!

**Frostfire613**- Your wish came true! It was a _very_ close poll result btw. Haha. Thanks for the comment!

**rfijblue**- Yeah, Fuji is too protective. But he's _the_ Fuji Syusuke, ne? He can get away with anything~! And you know my replies for the others already. Thanks for the comments!

**silverharpie17** - Haha. Hope this chapter didn't disappoint^^ Thanks for the cute reaction!

**Gothic Fairy Girl** - You know, if I didn't put the cliffie there, this chapter would've been uploaded after another week or so... hahaha. Thanks for the review!

* * *

><p><strong>If you actually <em>felt<em>** **and/or thought something**** please tell me. ****Getting your feedback makes all this effort worth it!  
><strong>


	11. Ryoma becomes a Regular

I'd be compressing the tournament in a day, okay. Let's just say that the morning session started a bit earlier than usual. For those who hadn't been to the **Prince of Tennis fanfiction** page, please go there sometimes! For a quick access, I put the link on my profile.

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XI: Ryoma becomes a regular!<strong>

ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD

It was a very early morning in Tokyo, and it's the time for early birds rise.

Echizen Reina was not an early bird…

But she was waking up anyway.

"Karupin…" She called moments before her awakening. She rolled around and grabbed a pillow, hoping that it was her precious cat. She opened her eyes in disappointment, and then frowned irritably.

"That bloody pretend-sadist."

It had been two _miserable_ days since her 'punishment'. It was annoying that she couldn't refuse. Even when he was actually bought with actual money, she couldn't help but feel that Fuji had all the right to take his 'Diego' away from her anytime he wanted to.

Diego was saved by Fuji from the life of a stray. Karupin was given to her by an old friend. Not much say to _that. _So, she couldn't help but be _partly_ relieved at the fact that Karupin was going to be gone only for a month when she was scared that he'll be taken away forever.

_Partly._

Who knew what Fuji could be teaching her cat. Being a self-proclaimed sadist and all… who knew if he exercised limits. He could be teaching Karupin to destroy her mangas and stuff toys for all he cared…

She sighed and just recalled Fuji's teasing expression before they parted.

'_But at least he isn't mad at me anymore. He even told me I could visit Karupin any time I want.' _

She smiled. Maybe she'll do _just_ that.

Eventually.

She does have her pride, too… even when it comes to her adorable cat.

Well, at least that's what she _hoped_.

**...**

SCHOOL COURTS - RANKING TOURNAMENTS, MORNING SESSION

"Sugoi, Echizen-kun! You're the first freshman in history of Seigaku that is allowed to play in the ranking tournaments!" Mizuno exclaimed wide-eyed in delight, the other two nodded with the same expression.

"_Kyuuuuuuuuuuuuu~!_" Horio screech excitedly. "This must be fate! Seigaku never allowed freshmen to get a chance to be a regular before, and this year they'd have _two!_" He said making a peace sign with his fingers.

"Two?" Katsuo asks, perplexed. Horio grinned.

"Yeah. I'm the other one! I mean… in the next ranking tournaments." They, save for Ryoma, lost their footing.

"IN YOUR DREAMS, HORIO!" The two vehemently shouted and Ryoma walked away from the humiliating scene that unfolded before her. She just assumed that the boy was probably on drugs or something, and proceeded to her matches.

"Game and Match! 6-0, Echizen _wins_!" A second year umpire shouted and was followed by a number of amazed murmurs and squeals.

"This is his _2nd_ landslide win today! I didn't know O'chibi so good at tennis, nya~!" Eiji stated while holding the metal fence in astonishment.

"Indeed." A weird looking boy with opaque glasses said as he wrote on his notebook. "As expected from the Prince of tennis."

"What do you mean, Inui?" a handsome boy who wore a constant expression asked his teammate.

"Ara, you didn't know Fuji? I thought you did since you reacted pretty nicely upon hearing his name a few days ago." Inui replied with a brow raised. Fuji blinked.

"I… just though that it was a familiar last name. That's all." He lied, but by some miracle Inui seemed to have bought it.

"So what do you mean by prince of tennis?" he asked again.

"He was a rising star in USA's tennis world. He was considered a prodigy there, until he disappeared. Who would've thought he'd come _here._" Inui stated as his glasses shimmered. Fuji smirked.

'_How interesting…' _They thought simultaneously... albeit for totally different reasons.

**...**

1-A

"AH… Echizen-san, don't forget that we'll be extending your cleaning duty for another week because you skipped today for club, okay?" Takeda Maya said to her in the corridors before class started. Apparently Ryuzaki-sensei asked for it since the morning practice started earlier for the ranking tournaments. The coach wanted it finished early because she'd be gone for a week for a coach's convention (if there was such a thing) somewhere in the borders of Kanto(wherever that was)… and to visit a few friends there as well (*cough* self-imposed vacation *cough*).

"Hai, sensei…" She replied begrudgingly. It seemed she'd be missing a few more morning club sessions again.

She shrugged and just let the rest of the day passively pass by.

"Does anyone know who was the first to measure the circumference of the earth?" A very… healthy science teacher asked. "No one?" He looked around until his eyes stopped at his future top student. "What about you Echizen-san? Do you know the answer?"

"It's Eratosthenes, sir." He answered nonchalantly amazing everyone yet again.

"Very good, Echizen-san. If you can answer how and how accurately he measured it, you can take your seat." He offered, it wasn't really a middle-school question but he knew the boy could answer. He needed something to pressure the class early in the term, after all.

"Hai. They say it's less than 2% but that's in the assumption that the earth's a perfect sphere when in fact, it's an oblate spheroid. So it should have an error of about 16%."

The professor clapped his hand and nodded, Ryoma took a sit. Only to from at certain comments she heard her classmates whisper about.

"Darnit. No effort at all." A random guy classmate whispered enviously at his seatmate who just nodded.

"Che." She muttered to herself irritably. '_What do _they_ know?'_

Science and History are Echizen's favorite subjects. Not because they're easy for her. In fact they're the only subjects she really gives effort to (she lost all hope in doing good in HomeEc). She's fine with analysis and concepts.

But terms and names…?

She had a bad memory when it comes to those things, after all. No use denying it.

**...**

SCHOOL COURTS - RANKING TOURNAMENTS, AFTER-SCHOOL SESSION

"Good luck, Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno said quietly, but still turning a few heads to them.

Momo whistled. "Ehhhhh~~~ It's so good to have a _girlfriend _to cheer you on, ne?" He teased, and then thinking things as if he was already 89 years old. '_Ah~ The joys of the younger years~'_

Fuji just stared at them with a mixture of interest and puzzlement. While the other people, except for Inui and Tezuka reacted rather energetically at the announcement.

"That's her? Echizen's girlfriend? She's pretty cute." Eiji stated and Oishi nodded in agreement getting Sakuno to blush in embarrassment. Ryoma saw this and glared at them for making her friend uncomfortable, but of course, it was _bound_ to be misinterpreted… especially by the resident idiots.

"WHOA! O'Chibi's _jealous_, nya~!" Eiji shouted.

Momo sneered. "Who would've thought…? Don't worry Echizen, you're pretty cute _yourself_! Pfft—HAHAHHAHA!" He joked and laughed boisterously getting a few brave souls to laugh with him.

Ryoma's eye twitched. She was about to break their hysteria when someone else did the honors.

"OI! What's going on here?" The coach shouted fervently as she saw the commotion.

"Ah… Baa-san. I'm just wishing Ryoma-kun good luck." She answered sweetly.

_Silence_

"_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHH?_!"

And so several of the students acted a little more idiotic than usual after that. The coach sighed and told her who her next opponents will be. Everyone felt silence again when they found out it was Kaidoh, a regular player.

"Ganbatee, Echizen-kun!" The two non-talkative freshmen said simultaneously to Ryoma several minutes before she went to court. She made a slight nod, but generally ignored them. Unfortunately, one of the other freshmen was too loud to be ignored. It was Hari... Hory...the chimp, unsurprisingly, and started bragging as if he had _something _to do with her wins.

"Considering how you've pummeled the upperclassmen, you're bound to beat the next one too!"

Then everyone in the vicinity abruptly became quiet.

"Nani? What's wrong everyone?" Horio asked, confused, as he looked around. "Why is everyone so pale?" He wondered out loud while scratching his head, like an actual chimp.

"_Fshuuuuuuuuuuu…._" A creepy sound emanated behind his back. He froze in terror.

Everyone knew the only person who actually make that sound. The chimp shivered in fear.

"G-GOMEN NASAI KAIDOH-SENPAI! IWILLNEVERDOITAGAINSO_PLEAS_EDON'TKILLMEIWANTTOBEAVETERENARIA N!" He shouted and quickly ran several steps away and immediately did a hundred sit-ups.

"That's what he gets for bragging all the time." Katsuo said casually as he watched Horio punish himself.

"I wonder when he'll learn…" Kachiro sighed and looked at Ryoma to ask for his opinion, "Ne, Echiz—"

He blinked as he saw the heavy aura surrounding the two figures glaring at each other.

"You're my next opponent eh, brat?" Kaidoh asked haughtily.

"Don't disappoint me." He replied with equal arrogance.

"_Fshuuuu_. I should be the one saying that."

"I beat Momochan-senpai, you know." He stated arrogantly to intimidate the taller player. Kaidoh blinked, but he immediately composed himself.

"That guy's no good, anyway. It's rude of you compare him to me." He answered relatively calmly but with the same scary expression. But unknown to them, there was a particular idiot who heard the last statement.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY _MAMUSHI_?" He shouted at his eternal rival.

"I _said _you _suck _at tennis, Aho!" He shot back still in the glaring contest with Ryoma.

"At least I don't suck in _everything else_! And look at me when I'm talking to you damnit! How _rude_!"

"So you _do _admit you're bad at tennis, _baka_!" He stated and glared at _him_. "And my grades are way higher than yours, idiot."

Momo turned red in anger and was about to throw a fit when-

"That's your loss senpai. But Kaidoh-senpai lost to me just now, too. So technically I won both of you. And twice for Momochan-senpai, too." She intervened stoically. _'I should've initiated a bet or something…'_

"Don't tell me I owe you another meal?" Momo asked her nervously.

'_Whoops. I don't even _have_ to initiate a deal…"_Ryoma mused and smirked. "You owe me another meal." Then, as if on cue, she heard footsteps approaching them.

"E-chi-zen-_kun_~" her always smiling senpai called. He just finished his match and went to see the commotion. He has the same expression he always has… at least to most people.

'_What's _he_ annoyed about?' _Ryoma pondered looking at the newcomer. She stared at him for a moment before she could come up with a probable reason.

"Ne, Fuji-senpai. I'll ask Kaidoh-senpai to treat you, then." She stated nonchalantly. Fuji blinked, and then smiled after realizing what the girl just assumed.

"Me?" Kaidoh questioned as his eyebrows met… not that they weren't like that all the time.

"You lost to me, too." She replied.

"When?"

"The glaring contest."

"What? Bu-"then turned to Momo. "This is all your fault bakayero!" Momo gritted his teeth within a millisecond of hearing his rival's insult.

"HOW DARE Y-"

"Saa… It's decided then. The two second years will treat us after the practice. The tournaments will finish up pretty late, anyway. So, might as well get dinner on our way home. Ne?" Fuji said without changing his expression. The two could only look at their sadistic senpai helplessly, and beg.

"Senpai…"

**...**

"S-Six games to four! Echizen wins!" The umpire managed to say. Echizen Ryoma just defeated a regular, and in his own game as well.

"S-Sugoi, Echizen. He beat Kaidoh in a battle of stamina!" Momo exclaimed, disbelieving.

"With that, he's pretty much guaranteed a spot in the regulars." Fuji said to himself standing a bit farther from the crowds as he watched the two players leave their court. It's not that he wanted Inui or Kaidoh to lose their spot, but it would be too interesting (not to mention convenient) to have Reina as a regular to want it to pass.

"You seem to really want the freshman to get our spot in the regulars, Fuji." Inui said suddenly appearing beside him. Fuji, unfazed, kept his smile.

"Saa… Inui don't be upset. I just find the kid exceptionally interesting. Not that you're boring me or anything…" He said casually.

Inui smirked as his glasses gleamed. "Don't think I haven't been watching you, Fuji. I noticed that the types of interest you have between the two of us are totally different. In fact, I'm not sure if it's still 'interest' you're feeling towards the boy."

Fuji's frowned.

"Is there something you want to say, Inui?" He asked calmly even when he knew _precisely_ what his friend was trying to say.

He wasn't dense, after all. After getting annoyed so many times by the fact that Reina's hanging out with other guys, he was _bound_ to notice his feelings. He knew he liked Reina. But to what degree, he was not sure if he wanted to know…

"Who knows…?" Inui just muttered and unceremoniously went to the courts. Fuji, on the other hand, grimaced at his teammate. The data specialist had noticed his supposedly well-hidden secret.

It could only mean one thing.

Trouble.

* * *

><p>"Don't underestimate Inui-senpai. He has a troublesome style." Kaidoh said to Ryoma after getting him to treat her to a can of Ponta since he lost.<p>

"Troublesome style?" She asked curiously.

"You'll know when you play him." He replied. She frowned.

"Che. Cliff hanger." Kaidoh smirked. She was about to ask _who _Inui-senpai was when she felt a presence watching them intently. She turned to its source, the person hid behind the corner of the building but he/she was gone now.

It was an instantaneous event, but Ryoma saw the person anyway. She raised her eyebrows in incomprehension.

'_Kuroro-san?'_

* * *

><p>"Echizen, Inui! Enter court C now." Oishi shouted at the two people who are in the opposite side of the courts, talking with different people respectively. Ryoma was talking with the coach, while Inui with Kawamura.<p>

"Hai, Hai." Ryoma muttered lazily as she walked towards the said court.

"GANBATTE RYOMA-SAMA!" several female voices squealed surprising everyone in earshot. There were at least 15 of them. They wore matching hair bands stating 'Go, Go, GO! Ryoma-sama~!' and a banner saying 'Kick their _asses_, Ryoma-sama!

Everyone's sweat dropped. Except for Ryoma, whose eyes were twitching rather crazily. '_ALREADY?'_ she already had a crazy fanclub?_ 'Shikusoooo'_

"SUGOOOOIIIIIIIII~~~! So many fan girls, and it hasn't even been a _week_! Nya~!" The always excited Eiji exclaimed admiringly.

Oishi and Kawamura nodded in agreement, while Kaidoh was giving the banner a burning glare believing that it will turn to ashes if he did so… whereas Sakuno was just looking idly at the scene when someone spoke from behind her.

"Are you alright with this, Ryuzaki-san?" Fuji asked.

"I don't really mind. It always happens, anyway." She replied.

"Poor kid."Fuji stated. She nodded in agreement.

"S-He always complains about them since… for who knows how long... Who wouldn't?" She said staring at her friend who was slowly backing away to find a safe place to hide from kami's wrath.

"How long have you known him?"

"For as long as I could remember, senpai."

"Eh… That's interesting. How long have you been dating, then?" He asks bluntly. She blushed in embarrassment.

"Uhmm… since he came from the states." She lied while Fuji was touching his chin deep in thought. It seemed as if he was about to ask something, though, when his next opponent called him.

"Oi, Fuji-senpai it's time for our match now!" Momo shouted while staring at the fan girls with amused eyes. Fuji nodded.

"I see. Good luck to your relationship, then." He said and walked away.

**...**

It was a rather challenging game with Inui. It ended 7 games to 5 with Ryoma having to use one of her most advanced techniques – the one-foot split step. She wanted to save it for Nationals, but what the heck.

Tezuka was right about not underestimating his regulars. She wondered if she would've been able to beat the data specialist if Tezuka didn't help her improve with her right hand.

Speaking of the Buchou, she noticed that he always avoid looking at her when they were in school. She also noted that he had become _way_ more stoic than usual. No one seemed to question it, so she assumed (correctly) that he was always like that in school… since he _was _the captain.

She believed that he wasn't _exactly_ avoiding her, especially since he replied to her e-mails every night since _then_. They chat for about half-an-hour every night and talk about things happening at school or some random facts, even when his replies got shorter by the day…

She failed to mention _Fuji_ (of all people) to him since the topic would soon go to Karupin, who was her weakness. But she did tell him about Sakuno and the teaching thing. He mostly just comments on what she said, but he occasionally talked about the club and the council. For some reason, he was avoiding the topics that they went so easily into the first time they met.

She mentally shook her head. She was getting worried, and she didn't even know why. She heaved a deep sigh. She didn't know what was happening to her and her friend. And she was definitely starting to feel the tension.

She looked around to get a glimpse of him when-

"Congratulations, Echizen!" Momo said slapping her strongly on the back. She glowered at him making him step back. Kaidoh smirked as he saw this and uttered "_Baka_." getting Momo to teleport in front of him and started making lame comments again.

"Ochibi's so awesome, nya~!" The human cat jumped in joy. Kawamura and Oishi patted her back while Fuji gestured for a thumbs-up.

_'No sign of Tezuka_.' She thought, disappointed.

"Indeed. That was a very interesting game." Inui stated from the other side of the court and went closer for a handshake. She followed the gesture.

"I don't want to play again with you, though senpai." She said bluntly. Inui smirked, _'Rude kid.'_

"Let's just see what happens, yes?" He said wearing a creepy grin and they shook hands. She shook her head.

"Hell _no_."

* * *

><p><span>JOLLIBEE<span>

The tournaments ended a little after 6 in the evening. The final match was between Kaidoh and Inui - A match wherein only one of which could remain a regular.

"Tsk." Momo muttered as he chewed his mega-sized burger. The three just watched him until he finished chewing and coolly said something to Ryoma. "I can't believe Mamushi won against Inui-senpai. He probably poisoned senpai with his own drink or something."

A vein popped on Kaidoh's now bandanna-free head. "I'm right here, you dolt."

"I _know. _Why do you think I said it in the first place?" he replied superciliously.

"How would I know how an _idiot _thinks?" He growled. Momo did the same.

"If you two want to fight do it outside… but _after _dinner. I'm not finished ordering yet." Ryoma intervened lazily.

Momo looked at half-dozen burgers on her tray.

"M-Mamushi's paying for the second order." He incoherently uttered, scared for his already burnt wallet. Kaidoh automatically turned blue as he heard the statement.

"O-Oi!"

Fuji chuckled."Saa… It's fine. I'll treat Echizen-kun. Only 3 burgers though."

"Really?" She asked incredulously.

"What's with that expression Echizen-_kun_?" he frowned.

"What's the catch?" She answered with an eyebrow raised.

"Now, that's not nice, Echizen. Senpai's treating you, be thankful." Momo said. _He _certainly was.

Fuji grimaced at the lack of honorific. "I'll treat you 3 burgers if Momo treats you with 5."

And with that, Momo paled as if he just ate a gallon of ice-cream.

**...**

A STREET HOME, Later

It was getting pretty late and everyone was to go home. Kaidoh was the first to separate from the group because his house was nearest to the fast-food chain.

Soon enough, they passed the street reaching to Fuji's house.

"Eh? Fuji-senpai is still here?" Momo asked himself out-loud. Fuji didn't say anything, he had to take Reina home after all. She'll get lost.

"Aa… wouldn't Echizen-kun get lost if left alone?" he answered calmly.

"Momochan-senpai had been walking me home for a week now, senpai. No need to worry." She said coolly but then frowned at Fuji's change in expression.

"Fuji-senpai?" She asked, perplexed at the guy's mood swings. He turned his head to Momo and said, "Momo, you may go home now, I'd like to take Echizen-kun home… just for today."

His Kouhai scratched his head in confusion, but just shrugged it off. "Okay then, thanks. Bye Senpai, Ryoma!" He yelled as he jogged home.

"So… what was that about?" She finally asked as they walked to the temple.

"Hn?" He wasn't listening.

"Your mood swings…?" She answered and stared at him. He just frowned and started walking faster. Ryoma followed.

"Oi, Fuji-senp-"

And in an instant she was pinned on the wall by a _very _serious looking senpai.

She just stared at him, waiting for him to calm down and explain. She didn't look away from her senpai's intense blue eyes. She momentarily allowed herself to be its subject as she tried to comprehend all the strong emotions she could see so evidently in his eyes. '_What has gotten to him all of a sudden? To let me see his emotions so easily…'_

He didn't say anything but he continued to stare at her, looking as if he was deciding something important.

_Twitch _

A vein popped on Ryoma's head. _'You don't _ponder_ while caging an unknowing bystander! You just _don't_!'_

She put her hands on both of his cheeks, so abruptly that it hurt as if he was slapped- effectively pulling him out of his trance.

He felt blood rush all over his face unconsciously letting his arms fall helplessly down to his side.

'_That was_ too_ close… What was I planning to do just then...?'_ He gulped shaking the answer to his question off. He decided quickly to turn away to hide his embarrassing expression when he noticed her hands are still on his cheeks.

"Echizen…" He whispered weakly. She didn't flinch.

"What's wrong, Fuji-senpai?" She asked. The concern in her voice taking him by surprise.

"You can't take care of Karupin with that unstable emotional state of yours…" She stated a-matter-of-factly.

He winced, surprised at the fact that he managed to remain standing. He just sighed internally and thought of an acceptable response.

'_I should've known…' _he couldn't help but think but his internal sulking was quickly shooed away as Reina continued on what she was saying.

"…and of course, if you remain like that you may injure someone. We don't want you in trouble, now do we?"

He grinned. "No we don't."

She frowned in response and pinched his cheeks. "Answer my _actual_ question, not the rhetorical one."

"I'm Fphine Ecshizen-kwun. It's a rwather… pershonal frovulem. Gomwen." He muttered incoherently but the bitterness in his voice remained unmistakable.

Along with her request, the memory of how she looked at him appeared in his head. There was a huge chance that she would never see him any more than a friend, he wondered how he'd be able to talk to anyone about how _that_ felt.

Ryoma saw the internal conflict and simply shook her head. She felt disappointed at Fuji's obvious reluctance to disclose, but she had to let it go.

Then she noticed their position and she abruptly let go of his face, much to his disappointment. She cleared her throat, and pushed the blood on her face down.

"Fine. But you shouldn't let it affect your everyday life like this. Especially since you don't look like you're planning to tell anyone."

"Yes, Ma'am." He answered dutifully.

"Che." She scowled. But an insult appeared in her head.

"Ne, Senpai. You sure are having a _bad _case of mood swings lately... Is it _that _time of the month already?" She asks pertaining to the infamous menstruation period women had to go through every month.

Fuji blinked for a second trying to digest the obvious slur he just got.

His expression changed oddly as he realized. And Ryoma could not stifle her laughter at the sight of his face.

"Pffttt- HAHAHAHAHA!"

Fuji stared at the dazzling sight that turned even prettier in front of him. He smiled, hoping time would pause.

'_It's too early to make a move. But it's also too early to give up as well...'_ He mused. She ws too young and uninterested in those type of things, but she was also much too good to just let go...

'_Besides, it's not like she's romantically interested in anyone yet… right?'_

He looked at her laughing figure affectionately.

He swore...

...that if she wasn't so alert, his phone's memory card would be full by now.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XI:**

_**Coming soon**_**:  
>CHAPTER XII: Tennis with old pervs<strong>

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**MintLeofeon - **HAha. Yeah... Fuji can be so weird... Thanks for the comment!

**SoulSilverShipping - **Naah...I think Karupin likes it there... Thanks for the concern~! lolz

**silverharpie17 - **Glad you felt that way! Hehe, Thanks for the comment~!

**rfijblue - **Oh, I _did _forget about Ayana haha. And I think I'd do your suggestion with the Ayana x Rinko thing. But like I've told you before I'd already... er... _outlined_ several chapters so you'd see that waaaay later in the series. lolz. Thanks for the review!

**The MIB's **- I don't know what the term 'crack' mean exactly (please tell me!) but if your talking about Fuji making her kiss or date him or something like that I _did _considered those type of punishment... but I encountered them too many times in fanfiction so I decided to dismiss them. Thanks for the review~!

**InfiniteWhiplash - **(Ch5) Nope! And since I'm following the cannon she won't until the end of the canon-following chapters.

(Ch8)Yes~! She's going to appear much more often when the kids arrive. Thanks for the comments!

**Frostfire613 - **Huhuhu. Why do I feel you were disappointed with the previous chapter? HUhuhu. Thanks for the review!

**Offtotralalaland -** Lolz, you speak as if I haven't updated for a whole year. Haha. thanks for the comment!

**Blueberryxn - **Thanks for the review! Ghahahaha.

**Ahyare Tuarwem - ***smirk* Let's wait and see...? Haha. Thanks for the comment~

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><p><strong>Thank you to all who supported me by reviewing andor adding me to their lists! Greatly appreciated~!  
><strong>Please continue doing so! And for those who haven't please understand how much your feedback mean to us authors!^^


	12. Tennis with old Pervs

Please don't forget to review! Thank you to everyone who faved and reviewed this story so far! Please check out my profile from time to time as well. ^^ And please support our fandom by liking the **Prince of Tennis fanfiction **page on facebook, okay?

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XII: Tennis with old pervs<br>**

ECHIZEN RESIEDENCE, FRIDAY NIGHT

It was already dark that night, but the figure hiding himself in the shadows was even darker. He watched the two as they exchange their goodbyes in front of a temple.

"Ii. Data." He muttered.

'_So this is where the Prince of Tennis lives, eh?'_ he mused. He was very interested in the kid from the start, first because he watched his games before and definitely saw potential. And second was that his partner in Sadism was also interested in the kid, although in a totally different reason altogether.

But, Inui Sadaharu, as calculating as he could be, never saw _that_ coming.

_-Flashback-_

_The night after he met the interesting freshman, he immediately decided to look into him. All he knew about the Prince of Tennis was his name, after all. He had the same last name as the samurai, but the he only had a 21 year old son and a 12 year old daughter. It was a perfect chance to get data on the boy._

_He hacked the school's database to get info on the freshman, but his data was located in a much protected server for some reason. And of course, that couldn't bring him down, now can it?_

_It only made him more curious._

_So, he followed the target home. _

_To his surprise he had the 2__nd__ years and Fuji with him. He saw them enter a fast food chain. Fortunately, they were too busy with each other to notice him placing himself in an easily overlooked table on the corner and watched them. He found out that he had a huge appetite… and a really pretty smile. But upon seeing the interactions, he concluded that it would be just a typical dinner of four friends._

_Only several minutes after that, though, he went in for a shock._

_He had considered the fact that _the _prodigy of Seigaku was gay. But seeing was something completely different altogether. Not that he didn't understand his attraction towards the boy. The boy can indeed be quite charmi- _tolerable, _after all_.

_He continued to observe them apathetically for a while._

_He never saw his friend in such a state before, he looked pitiful yet he looked happy as well. It was complicated, even for the resident data man. He could only smirk at his new found 'curiosity'._

_His glasses shimmered as he vehemently scribbled in his notebook._

"_Ii. Data."_

_-End of flashback-_

He was still watching the two, but his camera was now in position. It wouldn't miss anything, this time, he swore.

He recalled his little failure earlier. He was so busy writing that he totally forgot to take photos. That used to be Fuji's job. But he forgot that fact, which was unlike him. He mentally berated himself for making a mistake an accomplished stalker shouldn't.

In the end, though, nothing interesting happened… much to his disappointment.

And so, Inui Sadaharu decided to leave quietly as to make sure his targets never knew he was there.

**...**

"I'm home." She said stoically partly expecting the shout of her over-protective father and brother that followed.

"_REINA_!" they yelled. She just ignored them and went to her mother who was watching them with amused eyes.

"O-Oi! Reina, don't ignore us! We were so _worried_!" She shrugged.

"I called home, you know." She replied without turning her head.

"Yeah. To tell us that you're hanging out with _guys._" Ryoga stated alone since Nanjiroh couldn't bear say it.

"Che. How noisy… I've always been hanging out with guys, remember? Only Sakuno is my female friend." She muttered under her breath and went to greet her mother. Rinko smiled.

She was saying something to Reina but she was looking at the two boys. "Someone called a few minutes ago. I told HIM to call you back."

The two paled.

"_NANI_?"

"Moshi. Moshi." She said indifferently after taking the phone. A vein appeared as she noticed her two idiot family members, gawking at her from behind.

"Ano… Echizen-san, this is Kachiro." A very soft and childish male voice said.

'_Kachiro…? Who's that?'_

There was a momentary silence. But soon enough he continued as if he read her mind, "I'm one of the freshmen in the tennis club- the smaller one who isn't Horio."

"Oh… So, what do you want?"

"Ano… My father invited us to play in the club he's coaching at. It has _great_ facilities so…"

_Great facilities _he said. She imagined the temple courts. Surely, it was better that _that._

But what about the players? She was planning on playing with her father since Ryoga would be out tomorrow. And right after her usual defeat, she would play with Karupin to lighten up her mood.

'_Karupin…'_ She thought sadly as she recalled the cuteness of her cat. Then, an abrupt image of her cat being petted by his kidnapper popped up.

Her eyebrows met.

'_That bloody pretend-sadist with bloody mood swings.'_

**...**

*THE NEXT DAY*

"I'm off now…" She announced apathetically. The two idiots never took their eyes off her since the time she went down. They saw that she was cross-dressing so it wasn't a date.

But they couldn't be too sure, right?

"Bye, bye~!" Ryoga smiled sweetly as he_ decorously _waved his hand.

"Take care~!" Nanjiroh followed his lead.

They said different things, but the smile on their faces were definitely the same.

Ryoma glared at them, especially annoyed. Not that she wasn't always annoyed with them, it was just that a certain Buchou's 'lack-of-reply' the previous night didn't help her mood.

"You two better not be planning anything stupid." She threatened coolly. The two syn-chronically shook their heads with their odd smiles still on in a bad attempt to feign innocence. Her eyes twitched.

'_I better walk fast so that they can't follow.' _She decided and quickly went out the door.

"I'm counting on you, Oyaji." Ryoga stated as he patted his father's shoulder.

"Leave it to me."He grinned as he proudly posed in his 'Ninja-monk-spy' costume.

Ryoga gave him a supportive thumbs-up but he was laughing boisterously at his father on the inside. _'Oh my god! I'm gonna die if I don't let this out soon! Pfft-!"_

"I'll be off then." The father of the house confidently said as he went out the door to follow his daughter.

When the door closed, Ryoga laughed his ass off.

"GAHAHAHAHAH! OHMY-WAHAHAH! He looked so stup-GA_HHIHIHIIHIHIII_! I _CAN'T_ BELIEVE HE'S MY FA—SHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH_HAH_!"

The very amused Rinko, who was watching the whole thing, couldn't help teasing her son.

"You know, they say that your father was _just_ _like you_ when he was young."

**_CRACK_**

And so, just like that, Ryoga shattered to pitiful, pitiful pieces.

**...**

KOUHAKI TENNIS CLUB

In a very lively and well-maintained tennis club somewhere in the middle of Tokyo, five small figures were waiting for another one.

"Where _is_ he, anyway?" Horio complained. They told him an earlier meeting time because Sakuno said he would definitely be late if they didn't. And he certainly was. _They've _been waiting for an hour but still no sign of Ryoma.

"He's lost again, I'm sure." Sakuno sighed and wondered out loud. "I wonder why won't Obaa-san buy Ryoma a new cellphone… "

Katsuo blushed. "You two sure are close, Sakuno…"

Sakuno blinked. "Aa…"

"Of course they are! They've known each other for a while now, right?" Tomoko intervened.

Sakuno nodded. Tomoko looked at her friend, and asked out of curiosity:

"Ne, Sakuno. How long have you known Ryoma-sama, anyway?"

Sakuno pondered for a moment before answering. "Hmmm… I think I was just 8 years old when I first met him."

"OhhhH~!" Mizuno and Horio exclaimed.

"How romantic~! Childhood friends turned lovers!" Tomo exclaimed as she clasped her hands.

Sakuno's sweat dropped. It wasn't _that_ long ago…

"Aren't you kids a bit too young to talk about those things?" A man looking rather similar to one of them commented as he approached the group.

"Tou-san." Mizuno smiled at his father.

"He's still not here?" He asked calmly.

"Gomen ne. I'm certain Ryoma's lost since he isn't going here with Momo-senpai." Sakuno said. Momo said he had something to do in the morning so he said he was going to catch up with them later.

"Seriously, that Echiz-" Horio complained but halted as he saw the person they were waiting for.

"Yo." He greeted nonchalantly.

All of them, save for Sakuno, lost their footings.

"Y-You're two hours late and that's all you can say?" Horio yelled getting Ryoma to frown.

"Actually she was only late for an hour since we told her an earlier meeting time." Tomoko blurted out, much to everyone's annoyance. Ryoma stared at them stoically.

"What she said. I was only late for an hour." She reasoned.

"An HOUR is not a short time." He shot back.

"At least I wasn't late for two hours."

Horio's eyes twitched. "Like I said—"

"Mou, let's get going now… we've wasted enough time." Sakuno intervened. She knew Reina would not apologize because of Tomo's little slip up.

"B-But-" Horio stuttered and Sakuno felt a few more of her mild-mannered nerves to click.

"_GO!_"

* * *

><p><span>MONTHY TENNIS OFFICE<span>

Shiba Saori went inside the office like she always did only to see her senpai packing up. "Where are you going senpai?"She asked in curiosity.

"Not just me. Us."

"Hn?"

"We're going for an interview of _the _Samurai Nanjiroh." He stated proudly.

"Ohhh…" She just replied, impressed, and conditioned herself for a poise-full interview.

Disappointment came afterwards, though...

For several minutes later, they found that their trip was for naught.

"Oh…man, senpai. I can't believe we just missed him." She muttered slouching down as they walked away from the temple.

"And are you sure that's where he lives? I mean, his house is a _temple. _And how can you be so sure that he's even in Japan. Isn't he in the states the last time we checked? "

"I have my connections." He said, pertaining to a certain pink-haired coach. "He _should _be."

Inui recalled that the woman agreed to tell him in the condition that any information about Nanjiroh would not be published. Inoue immediately agreed. He was really more of a fan than a reporter when it came to _him_, after all.

Shiba, seeing that her senpai had entered his fanboy-mode, let out a deep breath of exasperation. "So… where are we going now, senpai?"

"Nanako-chan..." he paused, savoring the sound of the pretty girl's name (much to Shiba's annoyance).

"That we will find him in a private tennis club."

"No, duh." Shiba stomped.

"Hm?"

Shiba ignored him, and lead the way.

**...**

_Sniff Sniff Sniff_

Echizen Nanjiro sniffed for his daughter's scent like a dog. She dIDn't even wear perfume. But it was the only thing Nanjiroh could think of to track his lost daughter.

Soon enough, he realized that he made no progress since he started.

He groaned in despair.

"WHERE THE HECK _IS _SHE?"

**...**

"E-Echizen! Do_n't_ you have any mercy?" Horio shouted as he crouched to the ground sweating buckets. It wasn't even 5 minutes and he couldn't stand anymore.

Ryoma just stared at him. All of the shots she made were all unbearably slow… she had the sudden urge to tell him so that his bragging would diminish. But when she was about to attack his self-esteem, she abruptly heard voices from a distant court.

"Ryoma-sama?" Tomo asked after looking at the freshman prodigy's line of sight.

"Do you hear that?"

They shut their mouths to listen. They did hear some noise, but it was really indistinct. Ryoma could not hear what they were saying either, but their tone of voices was enough for a conclusion.

Ryoma lazily looked at Kachiro.

"You're dad's getting bullied."

"EH?" he expressed incredulously, but that stoic look on Ryoma's face told him he's not joking around. Not that Ryoma _ever_ joked around with him... So they went to take a peek, anyway.

As they approached the court in question, Ryoma began to understand the conversations.

"I don't need to warm up! I'm a finalist in the high school tournaments, you know!"

"But Sir—"

He was cut off by a haughty chuckle. "Why don't we play a game and see who's right?"

They arrived exactly when the first shot was made.

"Eh? What's going on? Why are they playing?" The others, except Ryoma, shook their heads as they looked at the other two people with Kachiro's dad.

"The old man who let us use the courts was challenged by that ugly old man over there so that he'd feel better about himself." He stated, loud enough for everyone in the court to hear.

The two adults stopped playing and stared at her. While the youngest scoffed and asked her arrogantly:

"What was that, kid?"

"You sure don't kno—"He stopped upon recognizing who he was talking to.

"Ah! It's you." Sakuno exclaimed, startling everyone.

Ryoma stared at Sakuno, then to the ugly high-schooler. She arrogantly pointed her thumb at him. "You know him?"

Sakuno sighed, unsurprised. "He was the 1st guy you beat after coming here."

Ryoma blinked, still trying to recall. Sakuno scratched her head for more descriptions.

"You called him monkey-face."

Her eyes widened by a millimeter at the memory. "OH."

Then she looked at him straight into the eyes. "Have you learned your grips yet?"

"OI!" Sasabe gritted his teeth in annoyance; he was about to say something when his attention was taken by the older and uglier tennis player.

"You were defeated by an elementary school kid?" He asked the younger one, obviously trying to bottle up his anger.

Sasabe gulped. "O-Of course, I was. I can't let a kid lose his confidence in tennis right, dad?"

His father's anger vanished and smirked arrogantly. "Ehhh…" He uttered than stared at Ryoma.

"You heard that kid? Don't get so arrogant, he lost to you in purpose."

_Twitch_

"Better start watching your mouth when you don't know that much in tennis anyway."

_Twitch Twitch Twitch_

Ryoma smirked coolly to Sakuno's surprise. She was sure Reina was going to beat the old man up. _'Reina-chan didn't get mad…?'_ She thought incredulously.

"I don't?"She asked feigning ignorance. "…then mind teaching me how to play?" She requested nonchalantly, but those who knew her could now feel the freezing air that surrounds her. Sasabe tried to warn his father but his father ignored him.

Sakuno sighed.

'_I guess not…'_

* * *

><p>A tall figure with spiky hair was running hurriedly to the club.<p>

"I'm sooo late! Darned errands. And I wanted to play, too… But at this rate I might not be able to reach the place in time." He told himself frantically.

"Where was it aga-"

_Thump!_

"Watch where you're going brat!" An old looking old man with a handkerchief place on his head and tied to his nose shouted.

'_Oh my god, I ran into a maniac!'_ He anxiously thought, he _knew _he should've taken those formal boxing lessons.

"G-Gomen. But I have to g-go." He incoherently stated and started backing away from the dangerous-looking man.

But the retard placed his hand on his shoulder sending him goose-bumps.

'_Does he have a knife? A gun? _Shikuso…._ I don't even _have_ any money left to give thanks to that kid! I swear that if I die, I will sooooo hunt him for the rest of his life. '_

"Oi, Brat." He asked and Momo stutteringly turned his head to him. "N-Nani…?"

"Do you know where the tennis club is?" Momo blinked.

"Which one?"

"Any. As long as it's a club." Nanjiroh stated. Well, it's a start, no?

Momo exhaled a 'thank-you-kami-for-letting-me-live-another-hour' breath, and willed himself to be a satisfactory tour guide.

Otherwise, he thought that he'd probably die.

* * *

><p>"I'm getting tired, Inoue-senpai." Shiba complained.<p>

"Stop complaining, there are only two clubs left." He replied frowning at his Kouhai's unenthusiastic attitude.

"Aren't you interested in _the _best player in the world?" He asked her, although what he said is only theoretically true.

"…not really…" He sighed. It's time to motivate her.

"Even if I say that he might be related to Ryoma-kun?"

She stared at him.

"Samurai Nanjiroh's full name is Echizen Nanjiroh."

"But I thought that only had one son? And he's a young adult already?"

"It's true. But Ryoma and Ryoga look alike… so I thought they might be cousins or something…" He said again, blushing, remembering another cousin of the Echizens.

Shiba's eyes livened in delight, no longer noticing Inoue's infatuation for another long-haired girl.

"LET'S GO THEN,SENPAI!" She shouted pointing at the club like a child, embarrassing Inoue like hell.

**...**

Meanwhile, at the courts, the prince of tennis just missed a ball.

"Meguro's golden retriever?" She asked as she let the opponent brag since he took (well, she let him take) the first game.

The man grinned showing his teeth. "I have golden teeth and I retrieve the ball."

"Eh? I thought it was the dog."

"You're mistaken if you think I'd be offended with that."

"I didn't. I thought the dog name was pretty smart since it could be a metaphor of sorts. But I guess you took it too literally. For an old man, you sure are stupid. And here I thought monkeys are smarter than most animals, too…"

"WHY YOU-" The old man raised his voice but caught himself at the sight of the people around. He was not going to embarrass himself.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson, kid."

She smirked, as if to answer that threat.

'_I'll crush you.'_

**_..._**

"Game and match. Echizen 6 games to 1!"Kachiro's father shouted with amazement at Ryoma... and pity to the man for not only was he no match, he sprained his ankle in the end proving him wrong _twice._

"I t-told you dad…" Sasabe whispered to his now stooping father.

"SHUT UP!" He shouted at his son, he forced himself to stand up and slowly walked away with his son trailing behind him.

"Thanks Echizen." The Kachiros said as they ate their lunch, courtesy of Sakuno. Ryoma just shrugged.

"You were amazing, Ryoma-sama." Tomo declared and the others nodded. She shrugged, and gestured to take her first bite.

"Mada Mada Dane."

**...**

"We're here." Momo stated as he looked at the odd-looking man he walked there with.

"Ara? Momo-kun?" A familiar voice called getting him to turn around.

"Ah! Shiba-san, Inoue-san!" He waved at the two approaching figures. He didn't notice that the old man beside him was also waving at the woman.

Shiba shivered at the sight. _'Gross! A freak! With Momo! Eek!' _She immediately looked away pretending not to see him, while her senpai was doing the exact opposite. He looked at the man with intense eyes.

'_Could it be…?'_

**...**

"Sugoi, Ryuzaki-san!" Horio complimented as he ate the bento.

"Of course! Sakuno-chan is the best cook _ever_! Ryoma-sama deserves the best, after all!" Tomo declared so loudly that Sakuno blushed in pure humiliation. She sighed, and it was followed by footsteps.

"Here you are." A grinning teenage boy stated, attracted by the loud voice.

"Ah, Momochan-senpai." Mizuno uttered and he quickly sat down with them at the sight of the food. Momo hungrily eyed the food before shouting in excitement,

"Itadakimaaaasu~!"

"So what took you so long, senpai?" Ryoma interrogated.

"I had an errand… That, and I bumped to a crazy looking monk."

Ryoma froze. But everyone else just blinked.

"Monk?" Horio asked. Momo nodded in affirmation. "He's pretty creepy, which was why I had no idea what Inoue-san was thinking…"

"Inoue? As in the reporter?"Sakuno asked meekly.

"Yes. And guess what he did?"

_Silence._

Everyone waited in anticipation… except for Ryoma, of course. She was frantically thinking of a way to get away as soon as she could.

"He asked the monk to play tennis with him.

"They're playing in court F, I think." Momo said as they walked to the match.

"That's the court reserved for us." Kachiro stated. Momo stared at him and asked: "Why'd you leave, then?"

"Circumstances." Ryoma intervened. She wanted them to keep quiet, she was still thinking.

Then, as they walked the path of hell towards the said court, she saw the public toilets. A light bulb appeared above her head and she smirked.

"You guys go ahead, I'll follow." She stated pointing at the toilets.

"Are you sure you'll be able to?" Momo teased earning himself a glare. He grinned. "Be sure to get there, ne?"

"Che." She muttered as if she was planning to come back.

She would definitely do what she could to avoid _that _idiot of a father. And so she started walking to the restrooms.

_Tap Tap Tap_

She paused.

Ryoma never used the male's bathroom before- it was too smelly. At school, she was allowed to use the comfort rooms for staff and faculty members as well as the clinic's. Then, she felt nature calling her. She swiftly looked around to see if there are people to see her entering the girl's bathroom.

'_The coast is clear.' _She thought and entered the room.

But, after her 'relief' was another complication. She went out of the cubicle only to see a taller girl staring at her with wide eyes.

She had reddish-brown hair with a number of hair-clips pushing the long bangs back. She didn't say anything. She was just staring at the odd boy who was using the girl's bathroom. She doubted he got lost. The room was freaking _pink_ after all.

Ryoma sighed at her dilemma. The girl probably thought she was a pervert or something. The last thing she wanted to be compared with was her father.

So, it was either let her know she was a girl or let her believe she was a pervert.

The former sounded much_, much_ more acceptable.

So she decidedly grabbed the girl's hand and placed it to her chest getting the girl to instantaneously blush and step back in shock.

"W-Wha!"

Ryoma remained impassive, and stared coolly at the unfortunate female."Yeah. I'm a girl. But if it isn't a bother, please don't tell anyone." She said. After a few moments of silence and seeing the girl wasn't going to speak for a while, Ryoma sighed and just waved the girl goodbye.

"Ja ne."

**...**

"What's taking him so long?" Horio asked Sakuno as they watched the reported get pummeled by a monk who wasn't even looking at the ball.

"He's missing this!" Momo exclaimed in incredulity and amazement.

"Ano… I don't think he'll come back." Sakuno said to them, now understanding why Ryoma was acting weird earlier.

"Why?" Momo and Horio asked at the same time.

"I can't tell you…"

"Sakuno-chan~ Aren't friends supposed to tell each other everything?" Tomo implored.

'It's not my secret to say, Tomo-chan." She just replied in serenely. And no one could interrogate the demure Ryuzaki. So they all just decided to continue watching the match. It was not like a match they had seen before. None of them could think it was possible to play like that. And after the game, they couldn't stop themselves from either gawking or clapping.

After all that amazing feats, it was not hard to conclude that the crazy-looking monk was a monster.

But their impressed reactions was quickly turned to utter shock by what Inoue said after regaining his composure. The man smiled and went to shake the monk's hand.

"You're still amazing, Echizen Nanjiroh-san."

Everyone, except Sakuno, all paled.

"_USOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_!"

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XII**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XIII: Admittance**

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**MintLeafeon - **Thanks for the comment! And he's going to be a bit more trouble later. Hehe

**Body Horror - **HAHAHA. He'll regain them~ In like 10 chapters from now... ahahaha. Thanks for the comment~!

**Frostfire613 - **Yes. He'll find out.. eventually. Hehe. Thanks for the comment!

**SoulSilverShipping -** I researched. Gakuensai no Oujisama is a game, right? Is it any good? HAhaha. Thanks for the comment~

**KyomotoSora - **Here it is~ No romance, though... Thanks for the review~

**xbamsod - **Oh yes they will~ Hahaha. Thanks for the comment~!

**blueberryxn** - Thanks for the reviews~! Much appreciated.

**rfijblue - **Yep. Reina was playing as Ryoma in tennis competitions. She went to school as a girl, though, but no one recognized her because she wasn't _that_ famous yet in the tennis world. Only hardcore tennis fans would really see the resemblance. Hope I answered your question~ And about Yumiko, she'll appear 3 chapters from now. Thanks for the comments~! And Advanced HAPPY NEW YEAR~

**jury28 - **(Ch.3)Oh, I love Jollibee. Since as far as I could remember! Haha.

(ch.4) Thanks for the review! And a lot of people thought the same as you. Just a little more Pillar-pair fans voted. Hehe

(ch10) Yeah, I guess I managed to do that, huh? Hahahah. Thanks for the review~

(ch11) Thank yoU~! And Happy new year to you~

**PinkyRocks - **They would end up together. Not too soon, though... Thanks for the comment!

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading this far!<strong>

**I would love to read what you thought, so please pause before going anywhere else and write below. :D  
><strong>


	13. Admittance

**Hi everyone! You should know that every review make me so happy! And if there are a lot than it should help motivate me to write more. So please don't hesitate to tell what you thought! You can be as honest as you want. :D I love reading anything that came from you guys~!  
><strong>

**Special thanks to those who reviewed, fav'ed, subscribed, or C2d this story!  
><strong>

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XIII: Admittance<strong>

SOMEWHERE IN TOKYO

It was another dreaded Monday morning in Tokyo. Most people still had the hang-over from the short break called 'weekend'.

"Geez…Echizen… I can't believe _that_ guy is your father." He stated with eyes twitching as he recalled the man's rather _peculiar_ presence. She smirked.

"I know. I'm surprised you're still sane."

"_Me too_..." He grinned. "But I guess it's because I actually saw him play with my own eyes. It's no wonder he went undefeated."

"Can't judge a book by its cover, huh?"

He nodded and replied, "Yeah. You two _are _related."

Then to his surprise, she glared at him.

"What?" He asked perplexed. But then he realized his tiny slip-up. He stuttered immediately.

"I-I mean, the part that meant not jud-ging a b-book b-by it's c-cover!"

"And you mean _what _exactly, Momochan-senpai?" She said in quite a threatening tone of voice.

"I meant y-your…" He meant her 'height' but he knew she has a little complex with that little fact. He searched his also little brain for a lucky save.

He couldn't find anything, and his eyes twitched in terror.

_Shit_

**...**

SCHOOL COURTS, BEFORE CLASSES

"Nya, Momo… what happened to your nose? You look like a—a—what do you call those animals with a red nose?" Eiji asked Oishi as he pointed rudely at Momo's nose- which was, indeed, red.

"They're called reindeers, Eiji." Oishi replied eying the nose curiously and Momo touched his nose in an attempt to ease the sting.

"Ryoma pulled my nose to school." Momo muttered weakly. Eiji and the others winced at the statement. Ryoma did, too, and she went closer and pinched his nose again.

"It _was_ your fault Momochan-senpai."

"OW! Echizeeeeennnnnn…" He cried. Most of the players who saw laughed boisterously at their kouhai's antics.

"NYAHAHAHA! Poor Momo! Ne, Fuji?" Eiji asked and turned around to look at his best friend who just smiled in reply.

"Yeah…"

Eiji blinked.

'_Fujiko?' _He thought, perplexed. He saw that his always-smiling friend was_ frowning_ for unknown reasons a millisecond before he turned around. He was about to ask his friend what's wrong when-

"EVERYONE 50 LAPS AROUND THE COURTS _NOW_!" Tezuka shouted, still looking as stoic as always.

"EEHHHHH?" The more energetic members exclaimed. The practice hadn't even started yet!

"_Why_?" The calmer ones asked themselves. While "Che." , the freshman regular muttered- she was let go of the day's cleaning duty today _not_ to do unjustly-assigned laps, after all.

And Tezuka heard all of them, of course.

"MAKE THAT 70 LAPS!"

**...**

The Regulars (and Inui) were running their 50th or so laps now. The others gave up epochs prior.

There were two players who purposely left themselves behind to separate themselves from the others.

"Fuji… It seems that Tezuka even has an odder case of mood swings than you do." He stated out-of-nowhere getting Fuji to stare at him.

"What do you mean, Inui?" He asked a tad worried. He did _not_ like where this was going.

"What do you think?" he replied apathetically. Fuji frowned but still lied with the same indifferent façade:

"I don't know what to think. Hm, now that I think of it- I have no idea what you keep blabbering about lately."

Inui smiled his knowing grin. "What if I say I have pictures?"

Fuji stayed quiet as he stared at him.

"You know… Friday night…after dinner…on the way home…"

The tensai's eyes opened as they looked at him incredulously. He regretted not getting any of those pictures, but now there was a chance to actually get a hold of them...

How unfortunate... the source was no other than Seigaku's Data player. He sighed.

Which meant it was _not_ going to be cheap.

**...**

Tezuka Kunimitsu looked at his teammates with a hawk's eyes. He noticed that they've become even livelier. It wasn't a bad thing, he knew, especially when he knew _who_ caused it.

Then, he looked at her. The cause of _his _troubles.

He tried to get rid of all these feelings he was experiencing. And he started to build a thicker wall when he was around her. He shortened his replies to her during their e-mail conversations. And he barely talked with her in person.

He stared at her with a mix of emotions. He recalled how much he tried to push all those thoughts of her away, but they just came back even more fervent than ever.

And so since a few nights ago, he tried to do what Echizen-san suggested. He then started to accept the fact that, he too, had a weakness like everyone else. Albeit, he wished he _knew_ why she was a weakness in the first place.

He did feel better after just accepting the fact. But even so, he was still a fervent follower of his grandfather's doctrines.

That meant _no one _was to know this weakness… _especially_, the said weakness herself.

So when he felt that she was getting closer to finding out. He didn't quite know what to do.

_-Flashback-_

_TEZUKA HOUSEHOLD, FRIDAY NIGHT_

_Tezuka went to his room an hour before he planned to go to bed. His first destination that night- as do his past nights lately- was his computer. But the difference now was that he was no longer planning to push her away._

'_Konbanwa, Tezuka-buchou__.' Were always the 1__st__ words to their conversations. He always replied the same way._

'_Konbanwa, Echizen.'__ Then, he initiated the chat's continuation._

'_Congratulations on becoming a regular, by the way. I apologize for not being able to congratulate you personally.'__ He replied. He was still getting the hang of these odd stirrings that he didn't know what Fuji and Inui might see if he interacted with Reina in front of them._

'_Thank you. And I don't mind at all.'_

'_That's good to hear, then.' __He just typed. His eyebrow slightly went up at her reply's delay._

_Uhm. I've been wanting to ask you this question…'_

'_Yes…?'__He asked her, intrigued. Reina is not really the prying type, after all._

'_You're already so stoic, Tezuka. Why do you have to be even more so with your team?'_

'_I'm the captain. And they're used to it already.' __He stated as a matter-of-factly. He stared at the screen and thought of why in the world she would open such a topic. It was simply not like her.  
><em>

'_I know that. It's just that I wonder if how they'll find out how much you care for them…'__ She replied. And he just stared at the screen. _

'_Where is this coming from, Echizen?' __He answered with a question. He was starting to feel anxious._

'_I mean, you still look your usual impassive self when with you're alone with me (not that they've been alone lately)… but the façade you show to your teammates are on a different level altogether. Do you want to be remembered as 'apathetic' by your friends? I mean, most of them know by intuition that you care for them, but maybe not in the way that you really do… right?' _

_He didn't reply to that. He couldn't._

_And it wasn't just because she uncharacteristically wrote a whole _paragraph.

_He was surprised at how much of him she could see… or rather could _always _see._

_He knew for days now that he always had his guard down when he was alone with her- that he let himself be comfortable. He already accepted the fact that she could affect his insides… but it was already so natural for him to have an unfathomable face, so he never expected that she would intuitively know the changes that went on inside him._

_And he didn't even notice his hands turning the computer off, rudely leaving Reina hanging.  
><em>

_-End of Flashback-_

What should he do now, then? Allowing his weakness to show was out of the question. Especially now that his grandfather was visiting, and that man could so easily see through him.

Should he deny her existence again? No. He'd go insane if he tried that again.

And seeing her acting so close to his teammates wasn't exactly helping him out, either.

* * *

><p><span>ROOFTOP, LUNCH<span>

It was a sunny day that day, to the relief of the regulars. They were _really _in the mood to eat at the rooftop now.

Or more accurately, they were especially trying to avoid eating in the canteen. Ryoma's now a regular, after all. And he had the craziest fan club of them all.

"WHOA! That's so cute, O'chibi-nya~!" Eiji exclaimed as he looked at the silver bento box she just took out. He looked at Sakuno. "You made this, nya~?"

She shook her head. "Aunt likes to make Ryoma-kun's bentos."

"But Sakuno-chan makes awesome bentos, too senpai-tachi." An extremely happy Tomo stated proudly. They had to take her with them since she ate with Sakuno whom they decided to let eat with them because she's their newest member's girlfriend.

Some of them regretted the decision already.

And Eiji, who wasn't one of them, nodded at Tomo's statement and went to look at Sakuno's bento. "It's true! It's also cute, nya~! Looks yummy."

The girl flushed in embarrassment.

Oishi noticing the discomfort his partner was causing the girl said, "Mou, Eiji… Just go eat your lunch and stop bothering the others."

And Sakuno blushed even more, much to the amusement of the people who noticed.

**...**

SCHOOL COURTS, after classes

Normal practice went on as usual (except for increased ankle weights) even without their coach. Tezuka and Inui, who was then the official manager, supervised the session.

The non-regulars were dismissed a bit earlier because the regulars had special training in preparation for the district tournaments. It seemed that it was Inui who devised it.

"So this is how it works:" Inui started as he held a red ball after the regulars were all gathered. "As you can see there 3 poles with different colors and the balls to be used are also painted in those 3 colors."

They looked around for the things he mentioned. The three colors were red, blue, and yellow. They got pretty hyped-up... so most of them didn't notice the suspicious-looking pitcher right behind their new manager.

After letting them absorb the surroundings, he continued his instructions. "I'll throw you simultaneous balls that may or may not be in different colors. You have to hit them to the poles with the same paint."

"I see…" Fuji whispered. "That's a good way to train our reaction time." Inui nodded at his statement, but then he smirked out-of-nowhere.

"You have get 10 balls correctly or you'll be punished." Everyone flinched at the last word.

"Uh ohhhh…." Momo muttered. Inui grinned and he lifted the jug containing who-knows-what behind him.

"You'll have to drink a glass of this. It's my special Veggie-juice. It's absolutely healthy for you."

They all shivered as they glimpsed at the brown and green colored drink. It didn't actually _have_ any smell, but it felt like it smelled like the sewage.

"What's in it?" Ryoma asked curiously. But before he could answer he was cut by everyone glaring at him.

"DON'T ANSWER THAT!"

**...**

The order was from oldest to youngest. Kawamura came first.

"COME ON! GREAAAAAAAA_TTTTTOOOOOOO_!" He shouted as he swung his racket like a cowboy.

"OH MY _GOD_!" Were his last words before entering the land of flowers. He got up to the 6th ball.

The next was Tezuka. And as expected, he did so perfectly… even with Inui's 'distractions'.

Oishi followed, and with his accuracy everyone expected him to finish. But Inui had something up in his sleeve.

"Ara? Is Kawamura still breathing?" Inui fake-muttered to himself as he threw the 9th ball, getting Oishi to hit the wrong pole.

Oishi shivered. He slowly walked to Inui and bravely drunk the glass and ran to get water but fainted after taking a few steps.

After Oishi was Eiji, then Fuji, Kaidoh, Momo, and finally Echizen. They either missed because they lacked accuracy, or because of Inui. Well, one of them lost on purpose. Fuji actually _liked _the poisoned drink, much to everyone's disbelief.

After Momo fainted (right after he took a sip), Tezuka and Fuji froze.

It was _her_ turn next. The drink had so much effect on bigger people _and _men at that; they couldn't help but feel worried for the small girl. Fuji frowned as he thought of a way to convince Inui to make an exemption.

"Saa… Inui-"

"Inui, Echizen is not to drink that thing. I'll just assign him 50 laps instead if he fails." Tezuka stated, catching both of them by surprise. "He's... too small."

"EH? Why, Buchou?" Ryoma pouted (you know, _somewhat_). She ignored that last comment of his, obviously.

Inui's glasses glistened as he let his brain run a thousand miles per second. And Fuji just stared at him.

Tezuka sighed and massaged his aching forehead. "You know why, Echizen."

"But I want to try." Ryoma shot back. She knew what he meant but it isn't fair to the others. And she _was_ curious on how the poison would taste… If Fuji could do it, why couldn't _she_?

Tezuka looked into her determined eyes. She wouldn't give in.

"Very well. But you'll still run 50 laps after you recover for not following my orders."

She smiled."Hai."

**...**

Ryoma was doing really well, so Tezuka and Fuji were starting to feel relieved for the girl. For the moment, Fuji pushed back whatever suspicions he was having. If he was right though..._how could Tezuka be so _obvious?

Nine balls passed by and Ryoma was doing great-

But Inui couldreally be quite the sadist.

He threw the last ball at her and suddenly asked:

"Who's Karupin?"

_CLANK!_

A missed ball, and they paled at the cup full of vile liquid given to her.

She gulped a good amount of air before finally taking a sip. And then one huge gulp.

The other three seemed to have lost their breaths as well.

And yet, to their surprise, Ryoma didn't faint immediately. She was definitely blue, though, and she quickly ran to the fountain.

Fuji decided to follow her to see if she's alright but Tezuka beat him to it. He halted his steps as he saw Tezuka walk towards the direction where their now unseen Kouhai went.

"Fuji…" Inui muttered beside him. He was not in the mood to reply to the guy's taunts.

"Do you think Tezuka's also a homosexual?"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, somewhere behind the courts... Ryoma was groggily walking across the lush green grass...<p>

'_Okay, great. Of all the times to get lost- Shikussssssooooooo'_ She frantically thought to herself as she felt herself losing consciousness.

But when she lost her footing she felt someone's strong arms caught her by her stomach.

"The fountain's the other way, Echizen." A familiar and calming baritone voice stated. She couldn't help but smile at him.

"Buchou."

**...**

"I thought I was going to faint there. Thank you." She said, smiling, as she wiped the water off her face.

"You are still going to run that 50 laps." He said stoically as he smirked through his eyes, completely forgetting the debate he had with himself earlier.

"I know." She grinned; it has been a several days since she saw him relaxed again, after all.

Tezuka stared at her for a moment and was about to apologize for his earlier rudeness when she abruptly frowned.

"You two have no sense of personal space." She said looking at the wall.

"Saa… no need to be so harsh, Echizen-kun." Fuji said in his usual façade as he and Inui walked out slowly from their hiding place.

Tezuka's eyebrows met even further at the revelation. His teammates could be especially exasperating at times.

"The two of you, run 100 laps _now_." He ordered monotonously but the three observant players noted the very annoyed tone in his voice. The other two sighed in disappointment, but unquestioningly obliged.

"Do I have to run now, too?" She asked him as she watched the two walk to the courts.

"No, you can do that tomorrow. You're still tired." He replied almost immediately. She stared at him.

"So… you were going to say something before those two intervened?" She asked.

"I apologize for my rudeness a few nights ago." She blinked.

"That night when I asked you about those exceptionally personal things…?" She asked and he nodded. "I should be the one to apologize since I went too far. I knew you didn't like talking of things like that." She looked tilted her head at him and added, "I was selfish."

"How is that selfish?" he asked, raising a puzzled eyebrow.

Reina stared at him, suddenly pondering whether to tell him or not. Or rather, _how_ to explain.

"I wanted to know whether you disliked me or not - I understand that you're avoid showing emotions due to your position - but I just can't shake off the feeling that I did something... disturbing... to... you.

"I guess I wanted to ask what I did indirectly... I'm sorry." She muttered sincerely,and Tezuka was dumbstruck to say the least. It wasn't her fault- it was _his_... but he couldn't really think of any reply at that moment that would not reveal his feelings.

"No, it's fine. It's not your fault, and you didn't do anything.

"I should be the one apologizing because I could've at least been frank with you, rather than not replying all together." She stared at him for a moment, and then looked at the grass. She had been meaning to ask him this, but circumstances kept her... now that they seemed to be at peace again..

_Should she?_

"Echizen."

"Ne, Tezuka." she said as she heard her name. "Kaa-san said I should ask you to have dinner with us whenever it won't be a bother to you." She went to take a glimpse of him but abruptly returned to staring at the grass. Tezuka saw the (very) light blush on her face, and he couldn't help but smile. Reina abruptly cleared her throat before continuing.

"So… when are you free?"

**...**

Inui Sadaharu sighed. He knew that they were too startled to see their captain like that that he and Fuji seemed to have let their presence show- getting the inconveniently alert Echizen to notice them. He would've gotten whole new volumes on Tezuka and Echizen if they managed to stay hidden.

He looked at the inside of the courts. Kaidoh and Kawamura were starting to wake up.

Then he looked at Fuji, whom he distanced himself from. He feared that if he got too close he might get strangled by the tensai's aura. Inui's glasses glimmered again as he stole a glance.

Fuji wasn't even wearing his mask anymore. He had his eyes opened and was glaring at nothing in particular. But then, he suddenly closed them again and slipped back to his mask.

"Ne, Inui." He called, sending shivers along Inui's spine. "Mind if I see the pictures, now? I already told you what Echizen-kun and I talked about that night, right?"

Inui gulped. He remembered the deal they had earlier with the pictures. This was the worst time to tell him that the pictures he took were pretty random.

"Aa…"

"Inui?" He questioned and tilted his head in feign innocence. Inui noticed this and immediately knew where the conversation was going. He winced.

_'How could he have known?'_

Then he remembered when he took a shower. He placed phone was in his highly-secured locker, just like always.

But Fuji _was_ a genius… he must have figured it out.

He stared at the tensai with fearful eyes. He knew Fuji was already mad because of what he just saw.

And that he needed someone to vent it on.

Inui gulped for his life.

'_So this is what they call 'karma'…'_

_._

.

**END OF CHAPTER XIII**

_**Next:**_  
><strong>CHAPTER XIV: Double Trouble<strong>

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><p>...<strong><br>**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**MintLeafeon - **Ahahha. I'm glad _someone _ think I still have a sense of humor! Thanks for the reaction~

**Blueberryxn - **Thanks for the review! Wahaha

**Monkey Girl 13624 - **Glad ya' think so^^Thanks for the review!

**Frostfire613 - **Here's a few~ ahaha. And more of him will come, promise! Thanks for the comment~!

**pays back a bitch sucker - **Aw, shux... Heheh. Thank you for the review~!

**jury28 - **JOLLIBEE IS THE BEST FASTFOOD CHAIN EVER! Gahhahah. Belated happy new year and thanks for the comment~!

**rjifblue - **Lolz. Belated happy new year! 30 mins before new year- haha. And we'll get a lot more Tezuka in future chaps~ Not the next one though, as it is (he won't appear there). Thanks for the comment!

**lifeofparty2 - **Yeah. It's pretty convenient, no? Wahahaha. Thanks for the comment~!

**xbamsod - **The girl in the bathroom is a canon character, and we'll see a lot more of her soon~ Hehe. Thanks for the comment!

* * *

><p><strong>I'll be waiting for your reviews, ne...?<strong>


	14. Double Trouble

**Thank you to everyone who supported me by adding me to your favs! Special thanks to those who took time to review my chapters. THANK YOU MINNA-SAN~!  
><strong>

**Please check out my profile from time to time as well. :D  
><strong>

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p><strong> CHAPTER XIV: Double Trouble<strong>

SCHOOL, FRIDAY: AFTER CLASSES

_RIIIINNNGGG!_

The sound that, when heard at the right time, instigates celebration.

"Ah~ Finally the weekend…" Sakuno whispered to her best friend who replied with a slight nod as she stared blankly at the board.

"What's wrong Ryoma-kun?"

"I miss Karupin…" She muttered and Sakuno just smiled, she could swear that Reina could really be so _cute_ at times.

"How long has it been?" She asked knowing that Karupin had been taken, but by _whom _Reina didn't want to say. She just said that the blasted kidnapper was a sadist-wanabee.

"3 years." She stated bluntly as she stood up and got ready to go out. Sakuno giggled, Ryoma wasn't _exactly_ lying… she knew that her friend really did feel that way.

"Shall we go home, now?" The brunette nodded.

There was no practice that day. They were having a break from the club because of the district tournament the next day. Ryoma started walking to the door, but before she went out she felt like threatening some unknown force with her brain.

'_This better be a relaxing day.' _

"Ryoma?"

She blinked. "Ah." and they headed to the gates.

As she and Sakuno were walking, they enticed quite a few murmurs. Ryoma sighed. She did not like this kind of attention... and the depression from Karupin's long absence made sure her patience was at its bare minimum. She was about to tell the people to mind their own businesses when- "Oi! Echizen!" some idiot shouted. At least everyone's attention and prying stares was on _him_ now, and not on them.

"What?" She asked the said idiot and then looked at the person beside him. She made a slight and respectful nod to them. "Oisu, Oishi-senpai, Momoshiro-senpai." Oishi smiled and answered the question directed to the kouhai beside him.

"Nothing, really. We were going to ask you to eat out, but it seems like you already have plans." He grinned looking at tomato-Sakuno.

"Ano.. we were only going to walk h-home, senpai…" She said, Ryoma noted the slight resolve in her voice. Resolve for _what_- she did not know.

"Then, the four of us eat out then!" Momo exclaimed then looked expectantly at Sakuno, who just gave a nod.

"Who's treating?" Ryoma asked.

"Oishi-senpai is!" Momo said excitedly as he made a victory-sign. She smirked.

"Ehhhh…"

"Only us? What about the others…ano…I don't mean to pry, though… ano…" Sakuno stuttered shyly.

"Kawamura, Fuji, Eiji, Kaidoh, and Tezuka had previous engagements. And Inui is sick for unknown reasons."

Ryoma nodded. She didn't know about the others, but she knew Tezuka couldn't stay out long for a while since he said that his grandfather needed a lot of attending. She sighed internally; she was looking forward to the dinner, too…

"Ah, Oishi-senpai. What's the occasion?"

He just smiled. "My parents increased my allowance."

"How lucky…" Momo muttered hoping his parents did the same. He needed it since Ryoma's stomach pretty much devours his money on a daily basis.

"I'm hungry." Ryoma stated.

Oishi and Sakuno chuckled. Oishi was the one who initiated that they start moving.

"Shall we...?"

**...**

JOLLIBEE

"Ehhh… Oishi-senpai's pretty rich." Ryoma said rather bluntly. She just ordered 10 burgers and Oishi was only surprised of her appetite.

"I know. Maybe we should ask him to do this more often." Momo grinned, and Sakuno shook her head in disapproval.

"Mou, you two really lack manners." She muttered embarrassed at the two's behavior. She looked at the sweat-dropping Oishi and apologized.

"Haha… It's fine Ryuzaki-san. I don't mind. Although I can't really treat you too often."

"Gomen senpai, even I imposed on you…" She apologized again. Oishi smiled and said it was nothing.

"A-Arigatou senpai…" Ryoma tilted her head in wonder at her friend's odd behavior.

'_Is she sick? I wonder what's wrong with her? Is she having those odd mood-swings, too? Maybe she's PMSing?"_ She thought recalling her conversation with Fuji that night. There was emotion in Sakuno's eyes that she saw at Fuji's once when he caged her, and she felt it emitting unhampered from Tezuka during their first days together, as well.

But Sakuno seemed to be making no effort to hide it at all. Well, maybe she was. She just shouldn't be compared to those two, and how they compose themselves.

After eating, they hung out just outside the food chain... right beside the huge statue of the bee-chef mascot.

"Ne, senpai. What's the line-up for Sunday?" Ryoma asked Oishi, she was wondering for a while now if she'll be able to play. Oishi stared at her for a while, wondering if he should tell her about Tezuka's reluctance on letting her do so.

_-Flashback- _

"_So it's either Momo or Echizen on Singles 3…?" He stated as he looked at the paper he was holding._

"_Aa…" Tezuka replied stoically but Oishi knew he was disagreeing. _

"_What's wrong Tezuka?" He asked getting no reply._

_Tezuka raised his hand, and excused himself. He saw Tezuka take out his phone and went outside to call somebody._

_He wasn't really the prying type, but he's more worried than proper today. So he decided to position himself a _bit_ closer to the door. You know, as 'a bit' as placing your ears on the door was. _

"_Are you sure we should let her play? Is that even allowed?" _

_Silence._

"_I see… then, there shouldn't be any problem with the rules, then?" _

"_But I'm still not sure…" Oishi blinked at Tezuka's tone of voice. He knew the captain could get worried at times, but Oishi felt that this was a different sort of fret. _

"_I allowed her to be a regular, yes, but I didn't -"_

_Silence. _

_After a minute or so, it was broken with Tezuka's aggravated sigh._

"_Very well…" _

_-End of flashback-_

He looked at the 'boy' who asked the question again. Why was he being referred to as 'she'?

"Senpai?" Ryoma asks, perplexed. He mentally shook his head of the thoughts. He exhaled to compose himself before replying.

"We're still deciding on whom to put on singles 3. It'll be either one of you." Both of his Kouhais grinned simultaneously.

"That'll be me, of course." Ryoma stated as a-matter-of-factly.

"Oi, Oi. You must be dreaming kiddo." Momo coolly shot back.

"We both know I'm a better player." She replied getting Momo to growl at her. Ryoma obviously entered fight-mode, and Momoshiro clenched his fist- ready for battle.

"You two!" Oishi exclaimed. "Your brawling will lead to _neither _of you playing in the match this Sunday."

They froze.

"That's not fair senpai!" Momo cried.

"That's right. I don't want to be a victim of this guy's insensitivity to rational decisions _again_."

"Who are you calling an idiot?" Momo frowned.

"I didn't say anything about you being an idiot (not explicitly). Although you certainly are…" She shot back.

A vein popped on Momo's head, "_What?_"

"You two-"Oishi tried to stop them. He was about to go closer when- "YOU TWO! STOP CAUSING TROUBLE FOR SENPAI!"

It was Sakuno., and everyone quickly shut their mouths. When Sakuno realized the embarrassing little scene she started, she blushed furiously.

"G-GOMENASAI!" She exclaimed as she kept getting redder and redder and started to walk away.

"R-Ryuzaki-san!" Oishi called only to be ignored.

"She can be like that at times, albeit not often. I don't quite know why she looks especially embarrassed now, though."

"Aren't you going to get your girlfriend?" Oishi questioned her with a hint of anger and discomfort in his voice. Ryoma had no idea what to make of it so she just replied in a way she always would have.

"Nope. She can take care of herself. Her house is just a street away from here, anyway." She answered indifferently. It's normal for Sakuno to get _really_ shy with most people. So she didn't think much of it. She also knew that Sakuno's sense of direction wasn't as bad as hers either, so why worry?

Oishi's eyebrows met. "You-"

"Why are you so angry senpai?" Ryoma frowned. '_Seriously, what is it with the other regulars and their mood swings?'_

But to her surprise, Oishi blushed.

Ryoma being somewhat dense with this kind of thing, tilted her head in wonder; while Momo who was a total idiot, scratched his cheek for no reason at all.

In short, neither of them knew why he flushed.

"And there goes Oishi-senpai." Ryoma muttered as she looked at Oishi who quickly excused himself and went to Sakuno's direction.

"I wonder what's with them…?" Momo asked, Ryoma just shrugged then looked at him.

"So, where were we earlier, again?" She posed. She was talking about the Singles 3 spot.

"Like I said. It would be me." He replied arrogantly.

She scoffed.

"OI! What was that for!" He exclaimed while gritting his teeth.

"For you and your dreams…" She replied making his eyes twitch. But before he could explode, he managed to catch himself- and he grinned confidently.

"Why don't we settle this with a match then?"

* * *

><p><span>STREET COURTS<span>

"Ara?" Ryoma whispered at the sight of the lively courts. There were a lot of people gathered around the courts. The atmosphere was similar to that of a party's.

"What the heck are all these people doing here?" Momo stated.

"No wonder it's a doubles-only tennis court." She muttered making Momo stare at her. He raised a brow.

"You've been here before?" She nodded apathetically trying to push the blood rushing on her face back to where they should be.

"You play doubles?" He asked and she shook her head in reply. "It's been years since I played. I only went here as a stop-over for a city tour."

"I see… then who was your tour guid-" He was interrupted by a cute brunette, suddenly pointing a finger at his companion.

"It's _you_!" She exclaimed, not hiding her astonishment. Ryoma winced and just stared at the finger as if it had a booger stuck on it.

"Who are you?" She just replied. The girl blinked. The cross-dresser looked as if she had seriously forgotten her. Then she looked at the girl's rather _dashing_ (HA! If she only knew… ) companion. The guy didn't look surprised at all.

"Is she always like this?" She asked him.

"She?" A confused Momo asked as he looked around him, thinking who the girl is talking about... or to _whom_.

The girl looked at the cross-dresser who was staring at her with minimum concern.

"He doesn't know?" She whispered at her. She shook her head.

"You look like you don't care."

"I don't... not really. It's just that I prefer him not knowing _yet._" She said.

"What don't I know about?" he asks as he gaped at the two with a very perplexed expression.

"You being more of an idiot than you already are."She shot back. A vein popped.

The mysterious girl giggled. Momo stared at the sight and all he could do was gulp.

_Poof! _Momo's anger disappeared.

He continued gaping to the point of getting the girl to blush.

"Uhmm…"

Ryoma looked at them. She had been seeing _way_ too much of this type of interaction lately.

'_Does it have something to do with the season?'_ She thought, extremely intrigued. She couldn't really make much of this 'something' emitting from Fuji or Tezuka since nothing really ever happened. Well, maybe there's the fact that Fuji seemed to be awkward around her lately… but she dismissed that thought almost immediately.

She looked at the two people in their trance again. Seeing 'it' on several different people in the period of a few hours, and to actually _witness_ so clearly the change in behavior, could really poke one's curiosity.

And so she continued to observe them.

About an eternity passed and the two teens finally caught themselves.

"Aa… Is it true that t-this is a double's only court?" He incoherently asked out-of-nowhere.

The mysterious girl nodded. "There are too many people here, so it was the best way to maximize the place."

He absentmindedly nodded in agreement. "So… What's the system here?"

Ryoma scoffed involuntarily.

"Nani?" He asked, annoyed, as he turned his head to her direction. He actually forgot she was there.

"I just never thought that a word like 'system' would come out of your mouth." She sardonically replied. Momo's eye twitched in irritation until the brunette laughed.

_Poof!_ There goes his anger again. Ryoma blinked at seeing the amusing little phenomena twice in 2 minutes.

"Ne, Momochan-senpai…" She called taking a step closer to him in an uncharacteristically child-like manner. "How come your anger disappears when she laughs?" She asked with innocent curiosity.

Momo and the girl blushed furiously at the extremely blunt statement.

"O-OI! I don't know what you're talking a-about!"He yelled shifting his eyes between his two companions. The girl was holding her crimson cheeks in the vain attempt to cool them.

Momoshiro blushed even deeper.

He scratched his head like there's no tomorrow in panic.

"GAHHH!" He yelled frantically at Ryoma and pointing at her afterwards.

"Play with me _now_!"

**...**

The then-slightly more composed girl, who introduced herself as Tachibana Ann, led them to the courts and offered to introduce them to the players. Momoshiro was looking at random directions as he tried to stop himself from looking at the girl's back. His eyes jerked abruptly. Echizen was watching him slip up.

Then Tachibana explained the rules of the games, and somehow he started to calm down.

"So we pair up and challenge the current winners?" Momo asked for clarification, and then looked at his future partner with both contempt and worry.

"You scared, Bushybrows-senpai?" She said after catching his stare.

"Bushybrows?" Ann asked, smiling. Ryoma nodded and pointed at Momo's eyebrows. Ann stared at it, but a moment later her eyes went down on his.

They instantaneously turned red.

'_What the heck.'_ Ryoma muttered internally, she _still_ hadn't figured it out.

'_Oh who cares... I'll find out eventually.'_ She shrugged then looked at the two who were at it again.

'_At least I found good teasing material.'_

**...**

They won effortlessly with several teams much to Ann's amusement. They have absolutely no combination, but they have _amazing_ tennis skills as individuals. She looked at their uniforms again. It seemed familiar…

Then, her eyes widened in realization.

"_S-Seigaku regulars!'_

*A little later*

After a few games, the two kids of Seigaku were walking away from the courts- defeated.

"Well, well. Don't be _too _down. They just won because they had _great_ combination… well, at least compared to the partnership you two make."Ann smirked teasingly as she walked with them out the park. The two lost to a pair that actually had skills to back their combination up.

"Ann-chan…" Momo sobbed depressingly. Ann blushed at the cute sight… and also due to the way he called her.

"Y-You two can improve! You should practice or something. Anything can be d-done with effort!" She stuttered an encouragement.

Momo looked down and continued his moping. "…If you say so…*sniff*"

"You sure do look even more un-cool than usual, senpai." Ryoma stated upon seeing the little scene. Momo's vitality suddenly returned, making Ann smile.

"I didn't think it was possible." She added making her senpai even angrier.

"I am _so_ cool. I'm the coolest man alive! Don't you see the _hair!_? " He declared as he patted his hair.

Ryoma ignored him, went to talk to Ann, and then asked out-of-the-blue. "Do you agree?"

The two older teens flushed again, but neither said anything for a moment.

Momoshiro looked at the girl intently, forcing her to shift her gaze. Ann then stared at the cross-dresser who seemed to actually ask all the awkward question simply because she was interested. What made it all worse was that Ryoma was nonchalantly observing them.

And she now realized, that expression-

Ann forced her mouth to remain closed since it was about to open wide in shock in utter disbelief.

_This girl had _NO_ idea what she was doing to them!_

* * *

><p>K. TENNIS GARDEN, The next day<p>

Tezuka Kunimitsu was massaging his head immediately after hearing the coach's decision.

"I find it hard to believe that the first decision you make after coming back is to put those two in doubles." He said with his trademark baritone voice.

"I didn't really decide. They _asked_ me to do it." She replied. Tezuka mechanically raised an eyebrow.

"I'm serious! I didn't know what got into them, but I'm willing to see what happens."

Tezuka sighed. This was going to be a _long_ day.

And that premonition proved to be true immediately.

Everyone expected the game with Gyokurin to be easy- at least, it was _supposed_ to.

If only those two didn't volunteer to be doubles 2.

"Oh gosh… how _embarrassing_! Nya!" Eiji exclaimed at his doubles partner as they watched his kouhais play. They had that _thing_ they called the 'AH-UN strategy' which was humiliating to _watch_ to say the least.

But to the human cat's puzzlement, his partner gave no answer.

He looked at his partner again. The boy was deep in thought as he stared at the game.

"Nya, Oishi? What's wrong?" Eiji asked, worried for his friend. Oishi blinked in surprise and just shook his head to say that he's 'fine'.

"Ya' sure?" the red-head asked again. Oishi nodded and was thankful that his partner didn't press the issue any longer.

Oishi looked at his Kouhai with a mixture of guilt and confusion.

'_What am I going to do, now?'_

_-Flashback-_

"_Ryuzaki-san!" He called as he ran after her figure. She turned around, obviously not knowing how to react, surprised at the sound of his voice._

"_Oishi-senpai! Ano…Ano…" She whispered as she looked on her shoe. Oishi just looked at her fondly for an instant and smiled._

"_I'll walk you home."_

_She stared at him incredulously and he couldn't help but chuckle at her expression.  
><em>

_"I'm not kidding, Ryuzaki-san."  
><em>

_"..."  
><em>

_"Shall we?" he offered and she nodded weakly. Soon enough, they arrived in front of her house.  
><em>

"_Gomen, senpai… I didn't mean to trouble you…" She said without looking at her senpai. She was trying to hide her red face. _

"_It was no big deal. It was only a few blocks." He replied, but went silent for an instant. He wanted Sakuno to look up and look at him in the eyes… for once._

"_But still…"She muttered with her eyes fixed on other things that was not named Oishi Suichiro. The raven-haired tennis player frowned.  
><em>

"_Ryuzaki-san… why can't you look at me…?" He asked out-of-nowhere. Now that they were alone (for the first time) he found that he was so intent on finding the answer. He did not even notice that his face was as hot as an overused laptop already. _

_Sakuno froze, looking frantically for a not-so-embarrassing reply in her head._"_Gomen, senpai… did I offend y-you…?"_

"_Hai." He replied bluntly. _

_She looked up at him only to see his serious expression. She flushed. _

"_You can look at everyone to some degree, but not on me. What do you think I would feel?"He asked her solemnly. He didn't know why he was so intent on finding this out, but he was determined to do so anyway. He really just wanted to know…_

…_and not to make her cry._

_-End of flashback-_

He recalled how much he wanted to take her in his arms to dry the tears- but that was already crossing the line.

How he wanted to follow her when she ran away… but she already had a boyfriend.

How much he wanted to make her _his_- but that was impossible.

He looked anxiously to their freshman who currently had Sakuno's heart. Oishi was the third wheel, he felt for a moment- but he abruptly shook his head. He was flattering himself, he mused grimly. Sakuno did not look at him that way... so he _could not_ even be considered as a third wheel.

He sighed and took a glimpse in the direction of the girl.

_Doki_

He caught her.

She was staring back at him.

**...**

"GAME AND MATCH! Momoshiro-Echizen pair!" The umpire shouted followed by the cheers.

"I can't believe that happened." An opponent with violet hair stated as he shook Momo's hand.

"That's Seigaku for you." The other one smiled as he shook Ryoma's. The two grinned proudly.

"We can play doubles after all." They said in unison.

But to their annoyance, everyone laughed at them.

"Che." She muttered under her breath as she walked towards their frowning coach.

'_What? We won… didn't we?'_ she thought.

"That was a very bad performance, you two." She said. "What's gotten into you two anyway, suddenly wanting to play doubles?"

"Nothing." They replied lethargically. Tezuka frowned and stated something that made the two- who were extremely hungry- feel as if they were going to get sucked in a black hole.

"You two, do 20 LAPS before eating lunch."

* * *

><p>About an hour later, the tennis team found themselves a spot amidst the park's green and naturalistic grounds for a simple picnic. They saw their beautifully packed bentos and simultaneously yelled 'Itadakimasu' and immediately went to relieve their hunger.<p>

As soon as he opened his, Eiji's eyes widened.

"This is awesome Ryu-chan! NYA!" Eiji complimented Sakuno loudly as he eyed the huge and very cute bento box. Everyone, save for Ryoma and Oishi, nodded.

"Sorry for the trouble, Ryuzaki-san." Fuji said but she just shook her head.

"It's an honor senpai. I'm glad I was of help." She smiled getting Oishi to look away.

"Mou, can we eat now?" A drooling Eiji intervened.

"I'm hungry." Ryoma agreed and Momo nodded vehemently.

Everyone just sighed at the three's selfishness. And soon enough, Sakuno distributed the chopsticks. One stood out, though.

It was silver.

"Silver?" Momo asked as he watched it get handed over to Ryoma.

"Hai. Since Ryoma doesn't have his usual silver bento with him, I thought that it would be nice to just bring a silver chopstick instead." She replied. Everyone looked at the boy who was already chewing something.

"Nanhii?" She asked with her mouth occupied.

They stared at her for a while, only to be ignored. They shifted their gazes to his girlfriend, instead, for an explanation.

"Silver is Ryoma-kun's favorite color. He doesn't really require something silver before he could eat… It's just that I never saw him eat a proper meal without it." No one said anything for a moment, and continued to gape.

"There's such a thing as a silver spoon and fork, you know." Ryoma added before some idiot made assumptions.

"Ehhhhh…." Most of them expressed. While some just kept to themselves in wonder.

**...**

After pummeling few more schools, Seigaku officially became a finalist. Ryoma heard that everyone expected the other one would be Kakinoki, but it seemed they were proved wrong.

They saw the chart. Their opponent the next day was 'Fudomine middle school'.

Whatever that is.

*An hour later*

"Ja ne~!" Eiji yelled at them as he separated from the group with his doubles partner and Inui.

Momo waved at them. He looked around and saw that only the people from Friday night were left. The coach, her granddaughter, and the Buchou were left behind.

He sighed. He felt a very tense atmosphere, strong enough for _him_ to notice. He knew Kaidoh and him didn't get along… but what he found odd was the other two. Now that he though about it, he barely saw them together these past few days.

'_I wonder what happened?'_ he pondered as he looked alternatively at the two who were not talking at all.

They walked in semi-comfortable silence… much to Momo's discomfort.

"Dya." Kaidoh said, as they neared his street.

"See ya, Mamushi." Momo replied, the other two just nodded. And Momo winced at the utter 'politeness' of everything.

'_Oh God. I think I'm going to suffocate!'_

"Well… I'm off, then." Fuji said like he usually did. Momo said goodbye but Ryoma just stared at him. They looked at each other for an instant but Fuji was quick to turn away.

They watched him take a few steps before Momo gestured to resume walking home. He halted when he noticed that no one was following him anymore. He turned to the unmoving Ryoma, who was just staring blankly at his senpai's direction.

"Echizen?" He asked, perplexed. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head and shifted her gaze at him. "You can go ahead of me. I have something to take care of." He blinked and unconsciously scratched his head. He just shrugged and said bid farewell.

He'd rather not know about confusing things for now...

**...**

Fuji Syusuke wanted to walk faster and faster away from his dilemma. He didn't think it would follow him to his own home… _especially_ when it got lost a lot.

"What?" He asked her, frowning, as he stood at the place they encountered each other all those days ago.

"What's wrong with you lately? You're avoiding me, aren't you?" She asserted getting Fuji mentally scoffed at himself. What did he expect? That she wouldn't notice?

"I don't know what you're talking about." He replied listlessly, making Ryoma frown.

"There's no use lying, senpai." She stated. He said nothing and looked away. Ryoma batted an eyelid at the rude gesture.

'_What the heck is wrong with him, _now_?'_

She waited for a moment for his response when a sudden thought came to her causing her eyes to widen in despair.

She could only think of one thing that could make him act this way.

Fuji took a deep breath before he turned to her. He knew he was being rude, but he couldn't help it. Everything had been so complicated for him - Reina remaining oblivious to his feelings did not make him feel any better. But when he turned to her, he absolutely did _not_ expect her to look so shocked. He gulped involuntarily.

_'Could she have realized?'_ He mused- not knowing whether to feel glad or _scared_.

"Fuji-san." She called changing her shocked expression into a serious one. Fuji's eyebrows met since her expression was almost angry. She inhaled a huge amount of Oxygen before speaking.

"Fuji-san." she breathed. "Could you have done something to _my _Karupin?"

Fuji sighed.

Why was he not surprised?

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER XIV**

_**Next:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XV:Decisions**

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><p><strong><strong>AN: **Jollibee is a real place, you know. Ask Mr. Google for more info. Heeheheee**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**Frostfire613 - **Ahahaha~ Yeah. He'll find out soon... Not in this chapter, though... obviously... XD Thanks for the comment!

**MintLeafeon - **Lolz. Don't kill Inui off! Fuji's so going to leave him alive~! Sort of. Hahaha. Thanks for the comment~!

**Serenita Kou - **Oh YES, she _is_ going to end up with Tezuka. XD Thanks for the review~!

**Blueberryxn - **Thanks for the review~! XD

**silverharpie17 -**It's fine~ I appreciate the effort^^ Thanks for the comment!

**Canard Pars -**They're random! Haha. Recall that he failed gettingany interesting pics when he followed them. Hehe. Thanks for the comment~!

**Reb8260 - **Ahahah. Thanks so much for the compliments~!

**rfijblue - **I know. HAha. I realize that he was too obvious. XD. Oh well. He's always cute whatever he does, anyway - riigghht? Haha. Thanks for the comment!

**jury28 - **Thank you^^ Did you know that it's the only fast-food chain that defeated McDonald's? HAhaha

**HoshixXxHikari080 - **(ch3) Aw, shux...Thank you! I hope you are actually reading this! LOL. Thanks for the review!

**sesmdchen97 - **Hehehe~ Thanks! Although it won't be a triangle for long though.. *grin* Thanks for the review~

**Shadowhawk -** Oh man! 12 new reviews would have been so nice! XD. Oh well, I appreciate that you did review, anyway! Aahahaha. Thank you for the review~!

**Annanimeaddict - **Yes, that was it. Lolz. Thanks for the comment~!

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><p><strong>The nicest thing you can do to me is letting me know your reactionsthoughts! Hehe.  
><strong>

**Please Review. ^^  
><strong>


	15. Decisions

A bunch of Thanks to everyone who reviewed thus far! Thanks to those who added me to their favorites, as well. :D Please continue doing so~  
>Please like the <strong>Prince of Tennis Fanfiction <strong>page, links are on my profile. Larger versions of my coverpages are linked as well.

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XV: Decisions<strong>

FUJI RESIDENCE

"Karupin!" Ryoma uncharacteristically yelled in glee the moment she saw her precious cat. It sat up immediately at the sound of her voice, and it immediately jumped to her arms with equal fervency.

Fuji smiled at the scene. It was really rare to see her like this… and at _his_ house, too. He was going to enter a trance when he caught himself and took his camera out.

He gestured to click 'capture' when he faltered- remembering why he felt so awkward with her the past few days…

He shook his head, and took a picture anyway.

_Click!_

"Ehhh… You didn't tell me she was _that _cute." His sister whispered to him as she eyed the newcomer now petting her cat fondly. He was startled, but it didn't stop his picture taking session. He told his sister _everything.._. well, except for the thing with Tezuka.

He smiled in assertion, and then stared at Reina. "I know."

Yumiko noted the odd tone and immediately whipped her head to her brother. "But you look like you're in pain."

Fuji accidentally widened his eyes- showing how grief-stricken they were. Yet regardless, he caught his composure and returned to his mask... smiling at his sister like she didn't say anything that made him remember all of his problems these past few days.

"…_that_ obvious, eh?"

"What happened?" Yumiko whispered, concerned, and he gave out a deep sigh.

"She looks at another man in a way... I wanted her to look at _me._"

"You're giving up?" She asked incredulously at his tone. "I didn't think you'd be the type to give up in situations like these…"

"Me neither- I simply didn't expect that the said man is a person I admire and respect. What makes it worse is that he's obviously attracted to her, too- and maybe in an even deeper way..." He responded quietly, but his sister didn't seem to have gotten that message.

"Tezuka-kun?" She said almost loud enough for Reina to hear, but thankfully she was too preoccupied with Karupin to notice. He didn't answer her question, but she knew she was right.

"So… you're really giving her up?" She asked, raising a brow.

"I don't want to…" He mumbled, and to his surprise- his sister laughed _at_ him.

"Then... don't!"

**...**

Yumiko then turned to the girl that caught her little brother's heart. She was still playing with her beloved cat, and she literally looked like an angel. But Yumiko knew Syusuke wasn't the type to fall for mere appearances, and this girl certainly emitted an aura that she was not just that.

"Only 4 days left Karupin, and you'll return home with me." She said reassuringly as she hugged her precious cat, remaining oblivious of being watched.

"A month sure does run quickly. I'll miss Karupin very much." Yumiko said from behind her and she stood up immediately, startled, and greeted her.

"Saa… no need to be so formal." She smiled. "I'm Fuji Yumiko, by the way. Syusuke's older sister." Reina nodded and was about to introduce herself when she was stopped.

"No need. I already know you. Fuji tells me a _lot_ of things about you, you know." Ryoma blinked. And Fuji, who standing not too far from the conversation, flushed in embarrassment. He even sent his sister daggers, hoping like hell she woildn't tell Reina anything else.

His sister, who remained uncaring of the deadly glares, continued talking with the freshman. She looked at him for an instant and smirked effectively making him wince.

'_Aneki!'_

She laughed internally.

"Is there anything the matter, Fuji-san?"

"Oh, nothing." She lied, a little surprised that her mental laugh was sensed. "I just thought you're very pretty. I'm sure you'd look wonderful in a dress."

"..."

"I study Architecture, but I like designing dresses as well..." she continued staring at Ryoma, soon making her rather uncomfortable. "I just got inspiration-"

"It's getting dark, Echizen, won't your parents look for you?" Fuji skillfully intervened, much to his sister's amusement.

"They will." she answered, patted her cat, and bowed to Yumiko. "I'll be going now, then. Sorry for intruding."

"Come by anytime, Ryoma-chan." Yumiko said as she waved at her.

"Bye for now Fuji-san."

Then just as they exited, Yumiko suddenly yelled to her brother. Fuji looked befuddled, Ryoma was sure Yumiko told him something. She just assumed though that it would be just to walk her home.

The older girl waved at both of them as he stood by her side.

"Take care of her, will you?"

* * *

><p>Tezuka Kunimitsu already had enough trouble for the day. He had to arrange and organize a lot of things for the tournaments with the coach. But although it <em>was<em> rather stressful, he thought that it would have been a _relatively_ normal day.

So when he went to Fuji's house to deliver some papers, he didn't expect to see _her _to come out of his house.

He frowned, and then he felt a head-ache coming to bother him again.

**...**

"Why does she know I'm a girl?" Ryoma asked as they walked. Fuji smiled.

"I tell her everything."

"Eh..." she shrugged.

They walked in silence for a few moments when Fuji finally spoke. "Can we extend Diego's stay?" He asked; taking care of calling Karupin 'Diego' every time he talked about him in front of Reina.

"In your dreams." She answered bluntly and he smirked; at least the tension between them was gone now. He could tell that Reina had completely forgotten about his little attempts on avoiding her.

"You can come visit him at our house when you want to, though." She stated without looking at him. He nodded gratefully and started walking slower, in an attempt to be able to watch her for a little while longer.

But of course, Ryoma was bound to notice.

"Fuji-senpai, is there anything wrong?" She innocently asked as she turned to face him, she wore that stoic expression but her eyes still showed her concern for _him_. He didn't understand why a simple question could stir so much in him. Flashes of her smile, her laugh, and her concerned eyes flowed like water in front of his eyes.

To think that they might be directed to someone else in the future, and for that someone only-

His sister's words that she so inappropriately whispered before they went out, echoed inside his brain. _"Syusuke... _

_"if she never finds out about how you feel... how else would you touch her heart?"_

He could no longer stop himself. He could see his hands stretching, in an attempt to envelope her small frame. '_Who cares if she's still so young? I can't lose her…'_ were his last thoughts before he wrapped his arms around her.

Ryoma, though, was dumbstruck to say the least. She didn't know what to do with- or make sense of- his sudden action.

'_Maybe he fainted?' _

"F-Fuji-senpai?" She incoherently called his name to know if he's still conscious but she was only hugged tighter.

"Uhmm-" she blushed and thought frantically of what to do.

'Okay so _he didn't faint… so what the _heck_ is he doing?' _She panicked internally; she wanted to ask someone for help. But when someone _did_ come not a moment too soon, she didn't feel glad at all.

A huge hand held Fuji's back to get his attention. Reina shivered.

Of all people to see them, why _him_?

_And why did she care so much anyway?_

"What is going on here?" He asked, the extreme irritation in his voice was obvious to the two. Fuji flinched and slowly let her go- frowning deeply at the interruption.

"Buchou…? What could _you_ be doing here?" He asked feigning coolness. He felt a surge of guilt, embarrassment, and anger at the same time. He had always admired this man, but that did not mean he's going to let him have Reina.

Not changing his facial expression, Tezuka walked closer and handed him an envelope.

"Ryuzaki-sensei asked me to deliver these to you; they're the papers you asked her to fill up for your research project."

Fuji nodded coolly as he gripped the envelope tightly.

"Thank you for delivering it to me."He looked at Ryoma who visibly noticed but didn't understand the odd combination of emotions that floated in the air. He grabbed her shoulder to bring her closer making Tezuka's eyes twitch.

"Let's get you home, then. Your parents will be worried." He stated, hoping to tell Tezuka that he is very close to her and her family. This was one of the small things Fuji says to reassure himself, unfortunately though he just conditioned himself for a depressing surprise.

"Didn't you call them?" Tezuka interrupted as he stared at Ryoma. She shook her head.

Tezuka looked at Fuji. "Do you have business with him at his house?" he asked inquisitively.

Fuji begrudgingly shook his head.

"I have. If I remember correctly, his mother invited me to dinner a few weeks ago. I couldn't come because of a situation at home," he paused, looking at Reina, and then back to Fuji.

"But now that it's over, I'd like to answer to the invitation now." He ignored Fuji's strong glare and looked at Ryoma. "If that's alright with you, of course."

Fuji glared. _What is this?_ He quickly whipped his head to look at Reina. His fist clenched at that relieved look on her face.

She nodded.

**...**

"Does he know you're girl?" Tezuka asked her as soon as they got away from Fuji's frozen form.

She looked back to the direction they came from. "Hai. And… is he alright?"

Tezuka's eyebrow met even further. "He is. Don't worry too much about him." He stated sternly stopping himself from asking prying questions like _'How did he know? Since when? _

_And _what are you doing at his house_?'_

She blinked.

"Tezuka? What's the matter?" She asked worriedly. _Too _many people are acting too weirdly lately; she didn't know what to do now that Tezuka - of all people - was joining them.

He sighed upon seeing her anxious face.

"It's nothing." he said decisively, making sure Reina gets the message to stop prying regardless of how sure she was that it was definitely a lie.

A moment of silence passed before Reina gulped and started a conversation. "Uhm… when did your grandfather leave?" She asked a bit frantic to change the topic.

"Just this morning." He lied with his trademark expression and Reina's eyebrow rose. She could always tell when he's, happy, sad, or is experiencing some basic emotion just by looking at his eyes- albeit with difficulty. But now she could tell that he was lying as if it was written all over his face.

'_What made him take his guard down all of a sudden?'_ She asked herself, considering how much he hardened it since _then._ She stared at him and he just stared back.

"Tezuka…" She mumbled with a concerned expression. He sighed, knowing it was no use to hold the truth back anymore.

"It's fine. It's only for a day, anyway. I don't think I'll get in so much trouble so long as I don't stay out _too _late."

"Are you sure?"

"Hai." He answered firmly and Reina smiled in relief. Tezuka automatically walked away in an unconscious attempt to hide his feelings.

"Ara? Tezuka?" She asked confused at his sudden movement. He immediately stopped his tracks upon realizing his involuntary actions, and forced himself to calm down before speaking.

"Your parents will be worried. We should hurry back, now."

They continued their walk, Tezuka sneaked an affectionate glimpse at her but then an enraging image suddenly appeared in his head.

His smile disappeared immediately.

Another man just took her into his arms right _in front_ of him. The way they interacted… the way they had spoken so intimately with each other… the way he _looked_ at her- He hated all of them.

Reina might have assumed that Fuji was sick- but Tezuka knew it was something much more than that.

Fuji was making his move, that he was sure.

And he was not planning to lose.

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><p><span>ECHIZEN RESIDENCE<span>

"She should be here by now…" Nanjiroh muttered as he anxiously tapped the table.

"Calm down, Nanjiroh. She's only 5 minutes later than usual."Rinko said.

"B-But!" Then he looked at his son for help. "Do you think we should call the police…?"

Rinko sighed. _'Not _this_ again.'_

She flinched immediately after seeing the two idiots stand up determinedly at the same time.

"You two…" She said to stop them when-

"Tadaima."

"She's home!" Ryoga yelled and turned to his father who was, to his surprise, frowning even deeper.

"Oyaji…?" He asked, perplexed. Nanjiroh stared at him seriously and asked,

"Don't you smell what I smell?"

Ryoga's tilted his head in puzzlement, but sniffed away anyway.

His eyes widened. His father gave him a knowing nod.

"She's with a_ man_."

**...**

"Make yourself at home, Tezuka." She stated as she slipped on to her slippers.

"Aa…" He replied looking as stoic as always. He looked around curiously. It seemed like just being in her home could make him unreasonably ecstatic. It felt strange- the feeling of relief he was now having.

Rinko was dead right about completely accepting all these odd feelings.

He looked at Reina. It didn't matter anymore whether she noticed it or not. He decided that he could no longer afford to waver. If he continued to do so, he feared that Fuji _would_ take her away.

"Tezuka?" She called him, pulling him out of his trance.

"Aa…" He uttered (again) and slipped into a slipper as well. He was about to take a step closer to her when he heard extremely loud foot stomps.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU!?" A peculiar looking monk shouted.

"YEAH! WHAT HE SAID!" A younger man growled.

Ryoma sighed as she stared stoically at the two who were shouting their lugs out. "Please forgive them. They have rather defective brains."

Tezuka blinked, but he just continued to follow her. He halted his steps at someone calling his name from behind the two men.

"My, Tezuka-kun!" Rinko exclaimed as she clasped her hands.

"You _know_ him?" Ryoga asked loudly and pointed rudely at the newcomer. Rinko's expression did not change.

"He's a family friend. Ne, Nanako?" She answered as she smiled at the pretty long-haired girl who had just arrived beside them. The girl grinned and nodded in total agreement.

"Oh yeah? Since when?" Nanjiroh shot back sarcastically.

"A few weeks ago." Nanako replied.

"How come we didn't know about it?" Ryoga questioned frowning deeply.

"You were asleep."

"H_aa_?"

"Then he's not a family friend then!" Nanjiroh shouted and Rinko smirked.

"Oh he _is_. The girls of the house thinks so. 3-2. Majority wins."

"_Haaa_?" The two expressed simultaneously, but they looked so idiotic that no one even bothered with them.

Rinko looked at the young'ins to get their attention and then led the way to the dining room. But as they walked, Rinko noticed that her daughter was not wearing the appropriate attire now that her future-boyfriend was visiting.

"Reina, you should go and change to your normal clothes now." Rinko said to her daughter who followed unquestioningly. She then glared at the two vengeful men throwing daggers at the poor boy who, incredibly, remained looking emotionless.

"You two, get the table ready." She ordered and went upstairs to get something.

A few minutes later, she returned downstairs holding a white envelope. Rinko went directly to Tezuka, who was then standing alone in the corridor just outside the dining room.

"Are you going to take 'those' things, now?" She teased quiet enough only for Tezuka to hear. Tezuka's face turned red- he knew _precisely_ what she was talking about.

He gulped. This was just too embarrassing.

"Mou, don't be embarrassed. " She smiled and handed him the envelope."But better not open it inside the house though." She added turning her head to the two men. He nodded reluctantly and shifted his sights to the envelope.

Honestly? He felt like a _stalker_.

But he was eager to open it anyway.

**...**

"Time to eat!" Nanako yelled in her usual demure manner.

"Shall we?" Rinko said to Tezuka who just nodded. He was following her inside the dining room when he paused the instant he heard someone climbing down the stairs. He turned around to look at her, but then found out that he could no longer move.

She went closer. And he _still _couldn't move.

"Tezuka?" She said standing right in front of him. She wasn't even wearing a pretty dress or make-up or anything out of the place. Other than her not wearing both her wig and glasses, there was nothing new.

So why did he feel overwhelmed all over again?

"A-Aa…" He uttered never taking his eyes away from her inquisitive figure. Rinko giggled at the cute scene but then decided to help the poor boy out.

"Come on in kids, time to eat." She said getting Reina's attention to shift to her. Tezuka gave out an almost invisible sigh of relief, and finally followed them to the table to eat.

The dinner table was quiet for a moment, thanks to two idiotic glares, but Rinko decided to break the ice.

"So... how long have you been playing, Tezuka-kun?"She asks. That got the two's mild interest.

"I was about 6 or 7 years old, I think."

"I see… what made you want to play?"

"I don't really remember." came his almost immediate answer.

Rinko laughed, "I bet Reina would say the same thing."

"Yeah. I played tennis as soon as I could lift the racket." Tezuka blinked and looked at her family.

"Does that mean one of you play tennis, as well?" he asked one of the two boys. They nodded, no longer wanting to kill him.

"Both of them do." Reina answered. Ryoga smirked.

"Are you any good? Want a match?" He challenged, but Tezuka didn't answer for a while. Reina saw his reluctance and remembered that his grandfather was still here.

"He can't stay out for long. His grandfather is visiting." She said to the two semi-excited boys getting them to pout. Her eyes twitched at the annoying scene they made.

"Stop being such babies." She blurted out getting the two other girls to laugh.

"Mou, Reina-chan… have mercy on them…"

"Yadda." Bluntly came out of her mouth.

Tezuka smiled. He was glad Reina had such a nice family, that she was being taken care of. He continued to stare at her inconspicuously. To most people, she didn't really look like it- but he knew that she was happy.

He wondered if _he_ could make her as happy... as he was.

Maybe he could.

If so, what would that mean for the both of them?

**...**

After dinner, Tezuka bid his farewell to the family. Rinko asked Reina to see him at least until the stairs, and she agreed.

"I hope you don't get in trouble for this." She said to him as they walked over the pavement.

"I won't." He stated reassuringly albeit he wasn't so sure himself. If he did though, he wouldn't care for it was worth it- getting to spend time with her always would.

"Here we are." She stated looking at the stairs a meter away. Tezuka let out a deep breath at the thought that they would finally be parting for the day.

He did not understand all the feelings and emotions that were running through his body every time he looked, or even thought about her. All he knew was that they were _special_... and that Fuji felt the same way.

He stared at Reina for a while. He wanted to tell her these feelings, but he couldn't since he didn't know what they were in the first place. They've always wanted to burst out of him, but he always refused himself of the privilege. But right now, he needed to change that.

Reina blushed under his intense gaze. She sees flashes of this emotion from Tezuka occasionally, but now it seemed like he was no longer hiding it.

In fact, it felt like he _wanted_ her to see.

It was Tezuka who spoke first.

"Reina, I-"

"OIIII! REINA! The show's starting now! _What the heck is taking you so long_! I thought you _loved_ this show!" An idiot shouted from the house. Reina frowned at the interruption, and then looked at Tezuka who, to her surprise, looked like he was in _pain_.

Her eyes widened. "TEZUKA? What's wrong?" She anxiously asked. He shook his head and quickly turned to his normal, stoic self.

"I just realized something." He stated not looking away from her eyes.

'_What? All of a sudden?'_

"Like a eureka moment or something?" She posed and he smiled almost sardonically. It might have been the oddest way to realize his feelings but he didn't care. But now that he knew the right words, and he felt relieved regardless.

And yet there remained the fact that a part of him shivered at the implications of what might happen if she didn't feel the same way.

He looked at her and thought the she might just as well look at him as a friend. But he felt that, if anyone was to know first it _had_ to be _her_- he'd just have to mend things up afterwards.

"I just realized that I—"

"RE-I-NA!" The idiot shouted again, oblivious to the anger he was causing.

"URUSAI!" She shouted back, annoyed. She _really_ wanted to hear what Tezuka wanted to say. She then took a deep breath of exasperation and then turned to Tezuka.

She was expecting him to look angry… and not what he did next.

He did exactly what Fuji did earlier.

But it felt utterly different- she didn't feel uncomfortable at all. If anything, she wanted to stay in that position forever.

"Tezuka…" She muttered under her breath as she placed her forehead on his broad shoulder.

"No, Reina, I'm not sick." He stated as he hugged her tighter. She wasn't thinking when she hugged him back, but she did not regret it one bit.

"Okay…"

She was still confused with what's happening, though. She liked this moment, and she wanted it to last, but…

"Tezuka, is there anything you want to say?" She asked, listening intently to the beautiful sound of his heartbeat. '_Is it supposed to be this loud? It sounds so pretty…' _

Tezuka softened his hold, to her disappointment. Maybe she shouldn't have asked.

He touched her cheek and looked at her straight to the eyes- letting her see the myriad of emotions that was running through him. She felt a surge of blood creep up to her face.

She wanted to get a hold of those emotions so badly. She didn't understand why she wanted Tezuka's in particular, but she did desire for it all the same.

"Uhmm…" She mumbled trying desperately to think of a reply, but Tezuka just smiled at her.

"It's fine Reina. I just lost myself for a moment." He said. Reina just stared at him in perplexity.

"You're not ready yet." He whispered almost to himself, and mentally sighed. 'I_ guess I'll have to endure a little longer…'  
><em>

"Hn?" She blinked. He chuckled and patted her head.

"I'll be going, then." He said and then walked away…

...leaving a _very_ confused Reina behind.

**...**

Two people were watching the two kids from the start. One with an amused grin on her face while the other one looked as if he was going to kill someone.

"Those two are so cute." She said, and he shook his head in disapproval.

"Hmpf! Cute your face. She's too _young_! And how come you've taken a liking already?"

"I think it's fine. Even if they did start dating _now_, with both of their personalities its obvious they'd have a very conservative relationship. They'll probably have their first kiss _long_ after they start dating."

The man remained silent as he pondered. The guy didn't seem that bad at all; he knew from the start… not that he would ever admit it.

He just scoffed arrogantly to mask his submission. "I'd still prefer for them to have their first kiss after they get _married_. In like… 20 years from now"

The woman just giggled and walked closer to him. She grabbed the neckline of his robe to bring him him closer... and gently placed her lips on his.

_Chu!_

He froze.

"Now, Now…" She smirked. "It's not fair for her to miss _that_ during her younger years, no?"

"I guess so…" he feigned a shrug, before grinning. He placed his hand behind her back and brought her even closer- to give her a much longer… and deeper kiss.

Rinko could only chuckle.

**.**  
><strong>.<strong>

**END OF CHAPTER XV:**

**_Coming Soon:  
><em>CHAPTER XVI**: **Fudomine**

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><p><strong><em>...<em>**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**Canard Pars -** Mood swings is my way of saying that they had gone out-of-characters because of this emotion we call love. XD Thanks for the comment~!

**Shadowhawk - **Yeah poor Oishi -and he's dense like pretty much everyone else. And here's the dinner! Hope ya' liked it~ TY for the comment!

**BlueBerryxn - **Thanks for the review -! XD

**FrostFire613 - **Thanks for the review~! And yeah, i missed them too. Hope you liked the moments they had in _this_ chap!

**iSayumix3 - **Ahahaha. I suppose she pretty much associated him with Fuji. The Unlucky bastard - Thanks for the comment~! lolz

**Mintleafeon - **Turned out to be a good thing for him (at first), though. lolz. And yeah I loved the ending too. XD Thanks for the comment!

** jury28 - **I just say JOLLIBBE RULES! XD Ah! Thanks for the review, btw~!

**imachan1208 - **Yeiy~! You're reading and reviewing this one too^^ Talk about a jumping fandoms. haha. Until what episode have you watched? And what do you mean by 'a difference in height'? And finally -Thanks for the review! XD

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading<br>But please pause for a moment and leave some sort of feedback. :D  
><strong>


	16. Fudomine

Thanks for reading this far! I would love love love it if you review as well. Sad to say but they're all that motivate me at this point...

Special thanks to those who gave me the pleasure of knowing what they thought~! BANZAI!

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XVI: Fudomine<strong>

TEZUKA HOUSEHOLD

Tezuka Kunimitsu stood in front of their gate for a few minutes to compose himself. This was the first time his wall was completely broken down, and now he had to quickly build it up again.

He was certain that, at that moment, his grandfather was sitting alone on the living room being ominous as always, waiting to scold him. Without his wall, he knew that his grandfather would know immediately that he was experiencing emotions strong enough to make him lose all reason.

Tezuka practically worshiped his grandfather and knew him well. He was honestly scared of what the old man would think of him once he found his weakness. He did not want to disappoint his grandfather, but Reina had become such an important part of his life that he was willing to risk it.

He breathed deeply and slowly opened the gate.

"Where have you been?" He asked in an utterly stern voice. Even Tezuka, who was supposedly used to his company, flinched by a bit. The man, as old as he looked, still remained strong. His presence alone will drag the most arrogant man to shame.

"I had a club meeting." He lied, keeping his absolutely stoic expression on.

The old man slowly shook his head. "You should know more than to lie to me, Kunimitsu."

"I don't believe I had, Grandfather."

"You're a bad liar, my child. Although… I had honestly assumed that you would do much better at lying considering how good you were at hiding your emotions." He bluntly stated, Tezuka didn't say anything.

"Now… what could've happened…?" Kunikazu asked cynically as he placed his back rest completely on the couch. Tezuka frowned. His grandfather knew something; otherwise he wouldn't be so mad.

"I do not know what you are talking about, grandfather. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have homework to do." He declared only to receive a blank stare. He gestured to go to his room and the old man sighed- with his disappointment not even slightly masked. This mere fact pained Tezuka more than he had anticipated. He mentally shook his head and proceeded on his leave. But then. on his way upstairs, his grandfather suddenly said something in a very sardonic tone of voice.

Tezuka halted his steps immediately.

"I wonder... why you would look like your father when he asked for your mother's hand?"

_Doki_

He couldn't say anything- and he didn't. So instead, he swiftly went up to his room, locked the door, and sat heavily on his bed.

He let out a deep breath and placed a hand in his pocket, to take the envelope Rinko gave him earlier. Tezuka opened it and looked at its contents fondly. Moments of daze passed and he closed his eyes to feel the oddly enticing chaos that was stirring within him.

He smiled.

'_It seems like I've fallen deeper than I thought.'_

* * *

><p><span>K. TENNIS GARDEN<span>

"You two are late again." Tezuka said monotonously to his two panting kouhais.

Momoshiro pointed at his companion."He overslept!"

"Don't talk as if you got to the house on time!" She shot back. She _did _oversleep but Momo was_ way _later than normal.

"_Grrrrrr…._" He growled. He was late because he dreamed of a certain brunette and didn't want to wake up.

"Grrr….." She answered, letting her face become closer to his- making them look like two dogs that were ready to bite each others heads off.

Someone cleared his throat.

"Saa… we should go to our court then." He stated as he positioned himself between them. This calmed them down… somewhat, and they begrudgingly stepped away from each other.

The team went on their way to the courts and saw their opponents immediately upon their arrival.

'_They're not bad...'_ Ryoma thought in mild interest immediately upon laying eyes on them... and their odd colored uniforms.

She saw that the opponent team stood even firmer and lined up immediately after a tall guy- with a kumkum-like mole- opened his mouth. She deduced effortlessly that he was their captain- and Tezuka's opponent.

Ryoma found herself looking back and forth between the two when they shook hands; they certainly did emit an aura of authority that wasn't supposed to be there yet.

_How could 15 year-olds obtain such demanding presence anyway?_

The Seigaku regulars lined up for the handshakes as soon as they entered the court. Reina was partnered with a good-looking boy with long bluish hair.

"You sure are small…" he muttered as if he was the only one who could hear. Ryoma's eye twitched at the statement, getting everyone of her teammates to flinch slightly.

The boy then looked at their intertwined hands. "You also have a very dainty and femininely soft hand. If I didn't know better I'd say you're a girl." He stated apathetically.

Most of her teammates shivered in fear for the poor boy, but two of them just glared at annoying bastard. Ryoma frowned.

'_This guy has no concept of keeping thoughts to himself.'_ She irritably muttered internally, as if _she _was never blunt.

"You sure do talk a lot. Aren't talkative people supposed to have better breaths?" She asked out of nowhere. Momo , Eiji, and a few of their opponents and audience snickered.

The guy's facial expression didn't change, nor did he take his hand away.

"So you're saying you have bad breath then?" He shot back. Ryoma winced for a millisecond.

"I'm an exception, just like you are." She answered as a matter-of-factly.

"Ehh… Is that so?" He uttered and leaned down so that their faces are now an inch apart. Her eyes twitched... again.

_'This guy doesn't know what personal space means, either.'_

She was going to insult him for being too close when an arm from behind gently wrapped itself around her neck and pulled her back. It relaxed and landed on her shoulders as the other one followed. A moment later she felt something- which was apparently someone's neck- rest on the top of her head, as well.

Everyone, except for the startled Tezuka, blushed at the gesture.

"What are y-"

"Saa… our precious freshman needs some personal space. Please don't get too close." He politely said, even when people who knew him could see daggers made of black aura floating around him.

The opponent's captain, upon seeing everyone in their dumbstruck states cleared his throat and quickly muttered an apology for his teammate's insolence.

Tezuka swiftly regained his composure and glared at Fuji. "You should let go now as well, Fuji. What you're doing is completely out-of-place and thwarting to everyone."

"Really…?" he smiled tightening his hold of her making her stutter.

Eiji's face became as red as his hair while the others even had steam coming out of their ears. Tomoka was squealing incessantly while Shiba was taking continuous pictures of the adorable yaoi scene that they made.

"F-Fuji-senpai. I thought you weren't sick anymore?" She asked trying to fight the blasted blush on her face.

"I never said that… I am still not feeling well, you know. I can barely move now…see?" He slyly replied as put a little more of his weight on her.

"FUJI!" Tezuka shouted. He sounded stern and strict as usual, but a few could tell that he was definitely angry.

Fuji frowned and seeing that he went too far, slowly let Reina go.

"Hai, Hai." He lazily replied, albeit he was mentally slapping himself. How could he do something so _embarrassing_? But he shook the shame away immediately. It was all definitely worth it.

Maybe he'd continue doing it-

"Che." Ryoma frowned seeing that Fuji was tricking her. She was determined not to lose.

"Don't expect me to believe you're sick again, Fuji-senpai. Mada Mada dane." She stated and walked away to go somewhere away from them.

Tezuka immediately calmed down upon seeing the scene. It was good to know that Reina had some sort of immunity against Fuji's infamous charm. And now it was being partnered with his shameless attempts on flirting.

But when he saw Fuji's smiling face, he glowered.

'_How long would she be able to resist?'_

**...**

Half-an-hour since the match started, the audience increased by several folds. It was very unusual to see such a high level match on the district tournaments, after all, and everyone could no longer predict who would win. The last year's champions were having a hard time- they lost in doubles 2, but now the golden duo was giving a wonderful performance as always.

It was almost a one-sided match, but that was already a given. No one knew what would happen in the singles matches.

The spectators looked at both the matches and the teams with great interest. Some of them were even looking for the famous freshman prodigy of Seigaku, albeit to no gain.

"…seemed like the players for Singles 3 and 2 are missing in action." Inoue said looking for the said players, Shiba nodded.

"Now, where could they be in such an exciting match?"

"Echizen is probably wondering around…" Horio commented scathingly, shaking his head at the sudden remembrance of a perverted-looking monk that was said to be related to their cool idol.

Sakuno and the other freshmen, though, flinched at the ominous statement.

'_Who knows where he could be, _now_?_"

**...**

On a random side of the park a certain cross-dresser stood darkly, her patience slowly getting sucked out every single second that passed.

It was Echizen Ryoma, unsurprisngly, and she was glaring at an inanimate vending machine.

_Glare_

_Poke_

_Glare_

_Glare_

No change.

"Che."She muttered angrily to herself. How can there be no Ponta_ and _Broccoli juice? _And when she's so thirsty, _too!

She glared at the counter hoping that the 'zero' it indicated would magically change. Nope.

Then, she glared at the vending machine again. Still no.

She internally moaned. She was _so _in the mood for either (or both) of those drinks (she was in bad mood due to Fuji's antics), but she decided to just settle with the other uninteresting flavors.

She placed her hand in her pocket to take a coin.

'_Ara?'_ She mused in confusion. How come she can't feel anything _but_ fabric?

And an instant later eyes jerked in recollection.

_-Flashback-_

"_Oi, Echizen! We have to go!" Momo shouted as she hurriedly ran to him._

"_HURRY!" He shouted._

"_I'm coming! damnit!" she yelled back. She was in such scurry that she almost didn't hear Ryoga's voice from the house._

_"Oi! Kiddo! I took a few coins in your pocket because all I have right now are big bills, I'll pay you back (someday)! Take care!"_

_-End of flashback-_

"That idiot! How can he take_ everything?_" She irritably shouted at herself. Now she'd have to settle for fountain water. She cursed.

"I'll make Karupin ruin one of his shirts again."

She walked- or rather, _stomped_- and looked around for a fountain, and she soon heard the sound of tennis balls. Two were getting hit successively by two people, she could tell, and seeing that just walking around would not lead her to the fountain- she decided to find the source of the sound instead.

And there it was: the fountain. The two players were, unfortunately, rallying right in front of it effectively blocking her way. She didn't really get why they had an audience, but what mattered to her was the water.

She was going to get to it, obviously. Two vigorous balls wouldn't be able stop her.

She sighed, took her racket, and… smirked.

Showing off along the way was never a bad idea.

*A few awkward moments later*

Ryoma satisfyingly wiped her face of the excess water. It wasn't as good as broccoli juice or Ponta but it would do.

When she turned around to go back to the courts, she frowned.

"Nani?" She irritably grumbled at the people who were staring at her like she suddenly shot someone. She glared at them making most of them step back, and soon enough she finally noticed the two players who were rallying earlier.

"You two look familiar… have I seen you before?" She asked them, making the red head with an emo-hairstyle lose his footing.

"We just met 30 minutes ago!" the emo shouted. She blinked in realization.

"Aah…" She uttered and then smirked.

"Shouldn't you be warming up? Seigaku is a good team, you know. You won't stand a chance if you underestimate us."

The emo gritted his teeth.

"THAT'S WHAT WE WERE _DOING_! Before _you_ intervened!"

Ryoma tilted her head in puzzlement and pointed at herself."Me?"

"GAH!" The emo scratched his head only to find himself crouching on the floor a moment later in surrender. It was his companion who continued the argument.

"We were having a good time playing with an admiring audience around but then you show up and ruin everything. You even scared the audience away."

Oh, him. She completely forgot about him.

"Ah. You were here? For someone so talkative you sure do get uncharacteristically quiet."

"Likewise." He replied. But then he abruptly scratched his head making Ryoma raise an eyebrow.

"You have dandruffs, lice, or fleas?" She asked mockingly.

"None. I was just wondering why my sentences seemed to have become shorter lately."

She nodded. "Yeah, I was wondering about that myself…" Her eyes went to his racket. "…so mind adding another ball to your little 'warm-up'?" She arrogantly asked making the Emo stand up again.

"Why you—"

"Oi. Do you have business with our freshman?" A familiar voice growled.

"Ah, Kaidoh-senpai." She said then looked at the emo. "Make that 4 balls then, _that _should be challenging."

The red-head growled again only to be calmed down by an intervening girl.

"Don't pick a premature fight with opponent team Kamio-kun! You better go back to the court now or I'll tell the captain." She exclaimed, purposely trying to avoid looking at Ryoma. The boy calmed down and followed his long-haired teammate back to the court.

"You should really stop taunting emotional men, Echizen-chan." She said to her as soon as the other two were out of earshot.

Kaidoh frowned. "You two know each other?"

"Hai." Ann said. "Tachibana Ann, at your service! Kaidoh-san."

"Tachibana-?"

"I'm Fudomine's captain little sister." She stated proudly.

Ryoma flinched. "You don't look alike."

"Not all siblings look alike." She replied.

"Guess so…" She mumbled. She and Ryoga looked so much alike- and they're not even blood related. Well not _really_...

"How do you two know each other?" He questioned. A little suspicion of Ryoma cheating on his girlfriend popped out of his head, but he was quick to shake it off.

"She's Momochan-senpai's future girlfriend." She bluntly replied. The two blushed furiously.

"E-Echizen! Don't make those kinds of assumptions!" She yelled in total embarrassment.

"I didn't. Senpai told that to me himself." She answered as if it was normal to speak of that kind of revelation so bluntly. She tilted her head in puzzlement as she watched Ann completely cover her crimson face with her hands.

And as smart as she was, she wasn't able associate the blushes to the word 'girlfriend'.

Not yet, anyway.

"Mou... I'm going back to my team!" Ann exclaimed trying to sound as indignant as she could, much to Ryoma's mystification. Kaidoh shook his head and returned to _their _team, and Ryoma followed immediately.

**...**

A few minutes later as they walked, Kaidoh sighed (again) for the umpteenth time.

"What's with you all of a sudden, senpai?"

"I can't believe that idiot got a girlfriend before me." He blurted out loud, without him noticing. When he did, he flushed.

Ryoma smirked. "Ehh… Even your rivalry extends to such things, eh?"

"O-of course not! It's just unbelievable that someone would like that idiot."

She chuckled. "That's true." Kaidoh flinched but managed to catch himself.

"Where were you since the games started?"

"I went to look for a drink." Kaidoh winced at the statement. He heard that the freshman gets lost a lot; but he didn't know it was _this _bad.

"You missed two matches already." He just said.

"Results?"

"We lost doubles two. Doubles 1 is still ongoing but it's obvious they're going to win." Ryoma's eyebrow rose at the 1st sentence.

"We lost? How?"

"Taka-san got injured."

"He did?" The super-strong Taka-san got injured?

"He's in the hospital now. It wasn't that serious, I think it was just a sprain." She didn't say anything.

"You don't need to worry. He wouldn't want us to."

"Who says I'm worried?" She shot back. Kaidoh just smirked.

"Whatever you say, brat."

**...**

"Game and match. Kikumaru-Oishi pair." The umpire stated instigating loud cheers and applause.

"Good game, you two." Inui said. Everyone else nodded.

"Sankyu~!" Eiji said as he drunk his water just before his eye caught the two figures walking towards them.

"NYA! Ochibi and Kaidoh didn't see my finale!" He cried looking dejectedly at the two.

"Eiji. Have you forgotten that saying that will jinx the results?" Fuji said to his best friend, a bit disconcerted. He knew that Reina was probably lost and Kaidoh was warming up but he simply did not want to see her with any other man rather than himself. Not to mention he was in a foul mood because of what happened the previous day.

His daze was broken by Eiji swiftly waving his hand fervently in an attempt to erase what he just said. Fuji sighed.

He was being too possessive of something that wasn't even his…yet.

He stared at Reina for a while. She approached Momo, much to his annoyance. His eyebrow rose as he saw Momo blush about something she said.

"Fuji?" Oishi asked as he looked at his line of sight."Is there anything wrong?"

He instantaneously slipped back to his mask. "Ie. It's nothing."

Oishi stared at him but once he realized that Fuji was not going to say anything else, he shrugged. He was worried but decided not to pry... Besides, he had to follow his partner- who was then trying to catch sound waves...

Oishi inhaled some oxygen. It was going to take a while convincing Eiji that Fuji was just joking around with him...

Several minutes passed Kaidoh's match started.

Unfortunately, Reina got thirsty again. She decided to go to the opposite direction of where she went before in the hope of finding a vending machine that actually _had _Ponta and/or brocolli juice. The freshman trio noticed him and decided to follow him to make sure he gets back in time for his match.

"Mou, Echizen-kun. Sakuno isn't even back yet from looking for you and now you're off adventuring again?" Kachiro lectured.

"Well, it's an unproductive mistake on your part to get _her_, of all people, to look for me." She replied as a-matter-of-factly. He looked down in defeat.

"…I guess..."

"Oi! Don't _agree_ with him!" Horio shouted only to be ignored. Ryoma started walking faster and abruptly stopped in front of a red vending machine.

"Che. Still no BJ. But at least they have Ponta." She muttered then looked at the trio.

"Lend me 100 yen." She stated. Mizuno was going to hand her a coin when Horio stopped him.

"Hey! You shouldn't follow everything that he says!"

"Why not?"

"Well, of course-"He was cut by the sound of a can dropping.

_Click_

She opened her new can of Ponta ignoring Horio's rants. She started walking.

"Where are you going?" Kachiro asked.

"Back to the game, of course."

"It's the other way, Echizen-san." he responded pointing to the aforementioned direction. Ryoma mentally winced.

"Che. I knew that." She said stoically while closing her eyes.

"Sure you did."Horio snickered earning himself a deadly glare.

He froze.

Why did he keep putting himself in danger?

**...**

*Meanwhile*

On another part of the park, a little far away from where the games were being held, Sakuno was bowing madly in apology to a bigger mean-looking boy. "GOMENASAI!" She exclaimed with her trademark sweet voice. She accidentally stepped on his new shoes, and he asked her a huge amount of money to pay for its cleaning.

A mysterious girl came to her rescue, but now the said girl was also in trouble and it was all her fault.

"Please let her go! I'm sorry for stepping on your shoe; I'll pay you with whatever I have!" She implored only to get a haughty smirk. But the smirk was quickly wiped off when an incredibly strong ball scratched his face. He quickly turned to its direction- and the two girls couldn't help but smile in relief.

"Yare Yare. A man shouldn't pick on girls, a man _shouldn't_."

"Momochan-senpai!" Sakuno exclaimed and Ann just smiled affectionately. Momo saw this and blushed.

He cleared his throat and continued his 'cool and manly' threat.

"Shoes are meant to be dirty. If you don't scram now, not only will I step on both of your shoes." He grinned. "I'll make sure this next ball wouldn't miss."

Ryoma smirked. "Ehhh..." They just arrived there- right on time to see the show.

Ryoma and Sakuno were impressed, the boy's eyes twinkled, and Ann was smiling. Yes, everyone thought he was being uncharacteristically awesome- except for his victim though, who thought he was a cannibal.

He quickly sprinted away for his life.

"Eeh…Momochan-senpai can actually be hero-material." Ryoma teased making Momoshiro's eye to twitch both at the statement and the fact that she was there.

"You were there the whole time? How come you didn't do anything? You're girlfriend was a victim!"

'_Girlfriend?' _Ann mused as she looked at the braided girl who went to sermon the cross-dresser. She smiled at the scene, they're obviously great friends. But then, her smile disappeared an instant later.

Ryoma looked at Momo to reply to his accusation. "I didn't since I knew you would come and rescue _your _girlfriend."

The other freshmen blinked, while the two older teens could no longer feel their faces. They accidentally let their eyes meet, and they blushed even further.

Oh God...

_'Not _this _again!'_

**.**  
><strong>.<strong>

**END OF CHAPTER XVI**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XVII: Revelation**

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS: <strong>

**Frostfire613 - **Thank you for the review! And uhm, depends on what you mean by 'soon'. lolz

**Mintleafeon - **You have _got_ to hate your brother - assuming you have one - when he's interrupting like that, no? Ahahhaha. Thanks for the comment~!

**animelover4ever69 - **I'm so glad you think so.^^ hehe Thanks for the comment!

**The MIB's - **I shall try! HAHAHAHA. Do tell me how I did. ^^ Thanks for the comment~!

**Shadowhawk - **Awww, shucks. Thank you so much for the review! (so sweet XD) And I suppose most of your questions were answered in this chapter, yes?

**shadowsky98 -** Thank you for the review~! And yeah, Fuji is really really lovable. XD

**blueberryxn - **lolz. Nice change in commentaries there, mate. HAHA. Thanks for the review~!

**imachan1208 - **Yeah they will have the pillar of support moment, but I'd warn you that it isn't as err... serious as in the anime. Hahaha. Thanks for the review!

**a bit of slytherin - **BWAHAHA. Maybe they should start paying me for advertising them. XD Where do u live, anyway? Just curious. And thanks for the review~~!

**jury28 - **lolz. Thank you for the support! And warning that it won't be any easier on him... ahahaha...

**CrescentMelody - **Agree! x 100. haha. Thanks for the comment~!

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading!<br>And please share with us your thoughts/reactions by writing below. (:D  
><strong>


	17. Revelations

Please like the **Prince of Tennis Fanfiction **page on facebook if you have an account! The link to it, along with other supposedly interesting links, are available on my profile~ Please take a look when you get the time. :D

Thanks for reading, and please don't hesitate to review!

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XVII: Revelation<strong>

Fuji Syusuke stared blankly at the court and pretended to watch Kaidoh's match with interest.

Don't get him wrong: It _was_ a very exciting match, it was just that he uncharacteristically had more pressing matters to think of.

He sighed.

He really wanted to get a hold of her again.

He didn't know when he started becoming such a pervert but he didn't care. He recalled what happened earlier… how insecure he already was since the previous day, and that bluenette just _had_ to come to the picture.

He thought that the boy was going to _kiss_ her. It was a misunderstanding on his part but when his arm touched the skin of her neck, he no longer had the will to let go.

In fact, his body moved on its own and wrapped itself around hers even tighter.

He blushed deeper at the memory. Then, he noticed that most of his teammates were a little farther than usual from him.

'_That's right; they don't know Ryoma's a girl.'_ He mused and laughed internally.

_'It seems like Inui gets company, then.'_ He chuckled out loud after that last thought. It consequently freaked out everyone who heard- even Inui.

"Ii. Data." But the data-man muttered a second later, chuckling creepily instead. Once again, Everyone shivered in fear. None of them knew why the two were laughing like that- and it was _obviously_ a bad omen. Fuji, on the other hand, resumed to 'watching' the match.

'_At least no one in the team would dare develop feelings for her now…' _Fuji smiled but frowned at an after thought. He let out a deep breath of disappointment.

'… _aside from Tezuka.'_

**...**

After Momoshiro's heroic act, the teens decided to introduce one another. After a few name-giving, handshakes, and waves; they decided to have a little chat.

"You could've at least told us you were from Fudomine." Momoshiro muttered.

"I wanted to surprise you guys." She grinned. He blushed, then sighed.

"Well, congratulations on that then…"

Sakuno, noticing the type of atmosphere the two were emitting and the look of confusion and interest on Ryoma's face, decided to save the two older teens from a possible blunt comment.

"Your team is strong, Tachibana-san, so how come they weren't well known?" She asked. The other girl smiled sadly getting Momo to blink. She was so cute that Momoshiro wanted to hug her. Although as idiotic as he may be... he, too, did not want to get teased to death and so he straightened up and caught his composure.

Ann looked at them as she spoke, and finally she told them her story.

It didn't take long- but they knew Ann felt every single word in her story. So after speaking, Ann took a deep breath to calm herself. Momo and the other boys did not speak, while Ryoma stared at the sky before commenting.

"I see…Your team not only has skill, but also great will then..." Ryoma stated mostly to herself. Ann nodded.

"Congratulations on making it through, Tachibana-san." Sakuno said.

"Thank you, and call me Ann-chan, Sakuno-chan."

Sakuno blushed and nodded. Ann smiled and looked at Ryoma.

"I needed more girl friends since I hang out too much with guys." She smiled. "Just like the two of you."

"Two of us?" Sakuno asked, tilting her head to Ann's line of sight. Ryoma was staring at her blankly.

"Ah."

"You're slow, Sakuno."

Sakuno frowned. "That's a great insult coming from you." she stated getting Ryoma's eyes to twitch at the blasphemous statement and Ann to laugh hysterically.

"It's true, you know."

"Wh-"

"Three of us will be great friends." She said, cutting her off, and smirked. Sakuno nodded while Ryoma just shrugged.

"Whatever."

The men, on the other hand... just assumed that the other girl was Tomoka.

*Several Minutes Later*

They decided to stay for a little while longer to chat. Time ran quickly, and soon enough they mutually decided that it was finally time to return to their respective teams. "See you later guys! Sakuno-chan!" Ann waved. Momo smiled and waved back sheepishly, Ryoma nodded in assent, while the others reacted normally. They walked nonchalantly back to their team's side, and Eiji was the first to notice their arrival. They positioned themselves to where they were before going away.

"Where have you guys been?"

"Here and there…" Ryoma lazily replied while eying Sakuno and Oishi alternatively. They were positioned quite far apart but she noted the quick and awkward glances they gave each other.

"You noticed?" Fuji asked from behind her. Ryoma flinched and instinctively backed away. Her eyes twitched as soon as she laid eyes on him.

_'This guy is getting better in sneaking up on me.'_

"Saa… Echizen-kun, please don't look as if I'm going to bite…" He teased even when he was mentally berating himself.

Ryoma frowned, but just decided to ignore him to watch her senpai's match.

Her eyes widened at his latest shot. It curved around the _pole_.

"What the—"She uttered while the others shouted in a combination of astonishment and incredulity. Someone even called it the 'Boomerang Snake' getting her to smirk.

'_Nice name.'_

**...**

Kaidoh won in the end, thanks to his stamina and perseverance. Now, it was our heroine's turn to show off.

"Ganbatte, Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno cheered. The others followed.

"I think it's about time to get Taka-san." Oishi said to Tezuka, who was then with the coach and were positioned relatively away from the rest of the team. He didn't notice how dejected he looked and Tezuka, who did not know why his friend looked like that, just nodded.

Oishi bowed to the coach and jogged to the hospital. The two of them watched him leave, and then shifted to the two players at the courts. Well, only Tezuka... Sumire was watching _him_.

"She's going to do well, as always. The opponent is just a little better than usual." She whispered to her protégé. "You worry too much."

"Aa…" He muttered, trying to convince himself that nothing will happen- but to no avail. The ominous feeling he had since he woke up just wouldn't disappear. He already had 13 cans of Broccoli juice that day in an attempt to calm himself down, and yet there he was still willing himself to stop worrying.

Ryuzaki continued stare at him for a bit, noting the minutest change in expression whenever she mentioned Reina or anything that had to do with her with blunt amusement.

"I'm still impressed that she decided to tell you herself."

"Aa." He answered (again), still happy at the said fact... forgetting for a moment that feeling of anxiety he had worn for a whole day. He frowned at an abrupt thought though, that suddenly passed above his head.

He simply couldn't help but wonder if she told Fuji herself as well…

**...**

The game was getting pretty good, and Tezuka noted that she was doing even better now with her right hand… which was just what she wanted. She told him a few nights earlier when they were chatting that she will beat strong opponents with just her right hand.

It sounded arrogant, yes, but Tezuka knew better.

He knew Reina didn't want to use her left hand yet since she beat Inui and Kaidoh with her right. Those two have strong will but they knew that they would still feel a bit depressed once they found out that they were beaten by someone who wasn't even using her dominant hand.

And so, Reina decided to beat as many strong opponents as she could with her non-dominant hand- at least, the dejection that might hit them would be in much lesser degree if they knew there were a lot of 'victims' like them.

He was fine with the decision... until at some point in the match she started missing easy shots. He noted that the opponent was using 2 different types of shots alternatively. And soon enough, he deduced what could have happened to her arm.

He wanted to tell her to change to her left hand, but he soon saw that she considered the thought as well… albeit he was sure she rejected it the moment the idea came to her.

Tezuka sighed worriedly and unconsciously sipped his latest can of broccoli juice..

The girl can be much too stubborn at times.

**...**

_PAK!_

"Ibou Shinji, 15-love!"

Reina, on the one side though, glared at her occasionally freezing hand. She knew what the bluenette was doing and considered using Nitoryuu- a technique invented by her father- but decided to go against it. She was determined to beat this guy only with her right hand.

But geniuses couldn't succeed in _everything_.

So in the end, she froze at the sight of her broken racket ricochet to her face.

**...**

"_KYAAA!_"

"Holy-"

"OH my G-

Many gasp and screams were heard around the court upon seeing the gory scene. Several people caught themselves immediately and ran to the court's interior to help- but they only got shouted at.

"Leave."

"But-!"Sakuno argued, but seeing the determination in her best friend's eyes decided to back away.

Fuji's eyes were wide open as he clenched the fence tight enough to wound him. He was trying his best not to drag her from the courts.

Tezuka on the other hand, didn't move. He couldn't. He wanted to stand, but he lost his strength. Right now he was too busy using his remaining energy to stop himself from undergoing hysteria. He was the captain after all, he _had_ to remain composed. No matter _what_ happened…

Ryuzaki was quick to go to her aid. She tried to treat the wounds and soon enough Oishi arrived with the now-unconscious Taka to help.

They tried to convince her to forfeit but she simply wouldn't budge. The coach looked at her protégé for help, but he still seemed concentrated on fighting whatever emotions he was currently experiencing. She stared at her for an instant longer, and she flinched when he abruptly opened his eyes and _glared _at her. It was an uncharacteristic indicting glare from him, she thought grimly, and it expressed his blunt accusations.

'_This is_ precisely_ why I didn't want her to play!'_

**...**

When finally Tezuka found the strength to stand, he approached the injured girl. He still emitted authority but most observant people would notice that he was still shaking.

"You will forfeit. And that isn't a question." He said sternly- only to receive a determined stare.

"I won't."

His eye twitched. He wanted to drag her out of here and bring her to the hospital, but he knew the girl all too well. She was not going to back out on this, not now. He realized that they are similar that way.

But then the wound started bleeding again-

"No. You _will_ forfeit, Reina and that's final." He stated, Ryoma flinched at the statement but quickly regained her will.

"Yadda."

"Echizen!" Oishi exclaimed, not minding at all who 'Reina' was.

"It's time to give it up, kid." The coach whispered. Ryoma frowned.

"Yadda." She said without wavering... and looked at Tezuka.

'_You, of all people, should understand how I feel.' _She said to him with her mind, and Tezuka's eyes widened slightly in understanding. For like him, she had fallen in love with the team… even when neither of them would admit it openly. And then her hate of losing was reinforced by this mishap.

He sighed in defeat.

"10 minutes. Beat him in ten minutes or else I'll forfeit you." He declared stiffly making most people stare at him in bewilderment.

Ryoma upon hearing his statement, beamed… instantaneously dazzling everyone, despite all the blood in her face. She went to get a new racket and positioned herself back to the court.

"Echizen." Tezuka called with his trademark baritone voice from the bench getting everyone to look at him.

"It's time to use your dominant hand." He said and the injured player nodded in agreement.

...while everyone _else's_ eyes widened in incredulity.

"_EHHHH?_"

**...**

Less than 10 minutes later, everyone would agree that Echizen Ryoma won one of the most memorable matches of the year.

As they shook hands, and as the coach treated her- strong and lively cheers and applause were heard across the courts, even from her opponents. Shinji and their captain later apologized to her and her team for the accident.

"Mada Mada dane." She just said to them sluggishly. Momo snickered.

"Coming from him, it meant 'it's not your fault, so no need to apologize'." He stated before laughing. Ryoma glowered at him while everyone else just smiled. Well, except for Fuji who kept his distance and Tezuka who _wanted_ to keep himself away. But he was the captain, he could not run away from this formality.

After apologizing and twitching here and there at the daggers getting thrown at them- they bowed and returned to their team. Ann waved goodbye at them before following her brother out of the courts.

"Who's the cute girl?" Eiji asks around to whoever the wave was directed to.

"Tachibana's sister." Kaidoh answered.

"Nya? You know Tachibana's sister?" He asked him.

"He's Bakaero's girlfriend." He replied somewhat bitterly. Momo dropped down to fetal position and hid his tomato-face on his arms while he muttered weakly, "She's not my girlfriend! Damnit…"

"Not _yet_, you said." Ryoma added making Momo curse all over again. The others laughed.

"How interesting." Fuji muttered and then Eiji and Taka patted Momo's back to congratulate him.

**...**

They went into a relatively nice walk to Takashi's Sushi shop. It was reserved for their celebratory party. Sushi was pretty much all that they talked about. No one really opened about her injury or her ambidexterity yet, so it wasn't particularly awkward for her.

Not yet.

SUSHI SHOP

"To becoming the No.1 team in the district (again)! KANPAI!" Ryuzaki-sensei shouted energetically getting everyone even more hyped up.

"KANPAI!" And they cheered, planting several ponds of juice and soft drinks on the floor. Momoshiro was the cause of most (if not all) of the spills.

"What the hell, baka. Can't you even do a proper toast?" Kaidoh hissed, especially irritated that a few drops of the idiot's coke landed on his face.

"What? You the Kanpai-police or something?" Momo replied, grinning. It wasn't _that_ lame a response after all…

"You don't need to be a police to know you're not supposed to make ponds on the floor, you _dolt_!" He shot back instigating yet another one of their deadly arguments. Oishi sighed and then glanced at Ryoma who was now openly using his left hand to eat.

"How come you didn't tell us you're a southpaw?" He asked curiously, not meaning to get everyone's attention to them. He winced and apologized while Ryoma just breathed deeply. She knew it was coming.

"My left hand couldn't be used during the 1st weeks of the school year, so I had to use my right." They nodded. Fuji smiled genuinely at a certain memory of him kissing that beautiful petite hand of hers...

"But I decided to continue using my right hand."

"Why?" Eiji asked and she just closed her eyes, seeming as if she was thinking.

"…I just felt like it."

"Mou, that's not fair O'chibi!" Eiji exclaimed, looking violated. Which in a sense, he _was._ Seeing this, Ryoma was attacked by an arrow of guilt. Only Tezuka, the coach, and Fuji noticed this and knew what was coming next.

"There's something _else_ I need to tell you guys about." She muttered.

'_This is it…'_

Everyone fell silent at the sudden change in atmosphere. Ryoma let out a deep breath before revealing anything.

"I'm a girl."

_Pfffttt-_

A few more ponds of liquid were then found on the floor, albeit the new ones were full of saliva seeing that they were spat by many of the regulars who heard.

Lesson to Momo: You don't wait for some surprise while you're drinking.

Kaidoh and Momoshiro were brawling since Kaidoh was now full of coke that already... bubbled inside Momo's mouth. No one bothered to stop them, though, since pretty much everyone was in shock.

Eiji was gloomily sitting on a corner muttering how much of a pervert he was for hugging a _girl_ - a GIRL! - on a daily basis.

Inui, who already considered the possibility, wrote vehemently on his notebook.

Oishi's suspiciously crimson head was lying on a table. And only Takashi and Inoue looked like surprised normal persons.

_Sigh..._

Ryoma stared at the commotion she caused with worried eyes, and then she felt a warm hand over hers. "Saa… You'd just have to trust them. I'm sure they'll be comfortable again with you after this momentary shock."

She didn't say anything, but Fuji only smiled.

"Besides... the fact that they believed you with just that says something on how much the trust you already, right?" He grinned encouragingly and she smiled at his attempt, making him want to hug her.

Well, he was _about_ to (considering how aggressive he'd become lately) when a deadly glare from Ryoma's other side pierced through him. He frowned at his rival.

Tezuka wanted badly to make Fuji take his hand off her… but other than his own feelings there was no reason to, so he begrudgingly stopped himself. To Reina, Fuji was only trying to comfort her; he had no right to stop him, he knew… no matter how much he wanted to.

"Arigatou, Fuji-senpai. You're a good friend." She whispered. Fuji smiled back, not feeling happy at all.

"Fuji-senpai…?" She asked, not knowing what suddenly made him sad. She was about to ask him what she said wrong when Eiji suddenly yelled out of nowhere.

They blinked as all of them got pulled out of their trance. Eiji ran towards Ryoma's direction and sat in front of her.

"I am so sorry for always glomping you! I _swear_ I'm not a pervert!" he stated with determined eyes.

"Who said you're a pervert?" She replied letting the red-head breathe out a sigh of relief.

"How come you dressed up as a boy, then?" Momo with a black-eye asked her.

"It's dangerous to have a big male fan base." She answered as a-matter-of-factly. Most of them felt that it made sense so they didn't question any further.

"How come? Nya…" Eiji muttered, not getting it at all.

"Ryoma-kun was stalked by many scary guys before to the point they had to hire a really strong bodyguard. Her first kiss was even stolen by an admirer-"She stopped herself upon realizing what she just revealed. She gulped and immediately looked at Ryoma who was sending daggers at her.

'_Eek! Please don't kill me, Reina-chan!'_

"Saa… Do you know who this guy is, Ryuzaki-san?" Fuji asked surrounded by a darker-than-usual , being not-so-dense as Reina, knew what to reply.

"He was a-already punished severely, Fuji-senpai."

"Eh? Are you sure? Maybe it wasn't enough…?"He pressed, only to be stopped by their captain.

"Fuji, that's enough. It is obviously a sensitive topic for Echizen, and I suggest everyone should stop pressing." He stated a bit disconcerted at the fact that she left that little detail out of her explanation back then. But then again... maybe he would not have wanted to hear it in the first place.

"Arigatou, Buchou." She smiled sadly, knowing that he was thinking of the fact that she hid something from him. It wasn't important- just very embarrassing, but she felt bad all the same.

"Aa…"

"So that means your gender will be kept among us, right?" Kawamura added.

"If that's alright with you…" Ryoma whispered but loud enough for everyone to hear. Everyone grinned.

"Well, duh…" Momo stated.

"Sugoi! A secret only we know about~! It's like we've become more of a family~ Nya!"Eiji shouted hugging her, completely forgetting the fact that he just apologized for doing it so much.

"We'll keep your secret for you, Echizen-chan."

"But is it alright to let a girl play at male tournaments?" Party-pooper Kaidoh asked. Ryuzaki-sensei answered the question for her.

"So there are no other objections?" The coach asked after the short explanation, and everyone grinned.

"Of course, _none_!"

**...**

"Well, that turned out nicely." The coach said to Ryoma as the old woman and her granddaughter walked her home. Fuji wouldn't let anyone but himself, walk the girl home… and Tezuka, albeit indirectly, made sure that Fuji didn't get what he wanted.

And so, the coach herself walked her student to school. She shrugged. They were just going to get free dinner courtesy of Rinko afterwards. She stretched her arms and looked down to her other side and saw her smiling granddaughter.

"You seem happy, Sakuno." She commented, Ryoma nodded in agreement. The girl didn't seem to hear them the first time, though... And they had to repeat what they said three times before getting a reaction.

Amusing thing was... the reaction was to blush furiously.

Sakuno felt like squealing at the memory.

_-Flashback-_

"_Dya ne~!" Eiji shouted as everyone bid their farewells. _

_Momo and Kaidoh were still glaring at each other. And odd enough, Fuji and Tezuka were doing the same thing._

_Her eyes met Oishi for an instant but she instinctively turned away. Her peripheral line of sight saw that Ryoma and her grandmother were already walking away so she quickly went to ran after them. But before she could- a hand entwined with hers._

_When she turned, she felt soft warm lips touching her cheeks for a second. It was so abrupt that no one saw._

_She flushed and looked at the person who gave her the kiss. He was blushing even deeper than she was._

_He whispered. _

"_Please think about it."_

_-End of flashback-_

She did just what he said she would do. Her heart fluttered every time she remembered and she felt especially touched whenever she thought of how much courage he must have mustered for him to be able do that.

She smiled again, completely forgetting of the two people who made her watch that flashback in the first place.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XVII**

_**Next:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XVIII:** Another Hectic Day****

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS: <strong>

**silverharpie17 - **I'm just happy your still reading and reviewing. XD Thanks for the comment~

**MintLeafeon - **Gahahaha. I swear if Fuji was flirting with me I'd freeze. XD. Thanks for the comment!

**Canard Pars - **Ah...I think I see your point. But, I'm dragging the pre-dating phase for as long as I can! XD Thanks for the review, btw~

**Blueberyyxn - **Hahaha. I'm fine with rants, really. Anyway, is having problems for the past few months and the fnfiction FB page is hella active during those times, y'know. *grin* Thanks for the review~

**Shadowhawk - **Oh, I don't mind. Any type of reviews make me very happy^^ Thanks for the review~

Oh, you reviewed again~ Awesome. XD Actually, I forgot about Inui... Darn it! XD

**etsuki-chan4 - **Yep. I sure do hope that it was not bad, though. XD Thanks for the comment!

**FrostFire613 - **Did you know? I just noticed he had an emo-hairstyle when I was writing that chap. XD how observant of me. Thanks for the review~

**rfijblue - **Thank goodness the grandfather actually appeared scary! haha I was worried I didn't succeed. ^^ Thanks for the review~!

**OlivineWK- **Lolz. Thank you for staying! XD and do you mean the 3 (...) dot breaks? Oh well, I'll look into it and see how I could improve. ^^ thanks for the review!

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><p><strong>Please commentcritique/flame/rant/fangirling/review!  
>Saying that they make my days is no understatement. :D<br>**


	18. Another Hectic day

Thank you for everyone who reviewed, subscribed, faved, and C2d this story! Little actions mean so much to me! And for those who still haven't liked the **Prince of Tennis Fanfiction **facebook page, please do so~! And on the behalf of the admin panel, we thank everyone who supported the page so far!

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I OWN Prince of Tennis

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XVIII: An almost 'Just another hectic day'<strong>

A-1

It was yet another Friday morning in Seigaku, and everyone was excited (as always) that they could finally over-sleep the next day. Especially the heroine, unsurprisingly, and what better way to even make the next few days even more awesome than the return of her lovely cat?

'_Aahhh~ I'll get to see my Karupin again. But… I still didn't get how Yumiko-san convinced me to extend it by a few days…' _She thought grimly. She was still in the dark as to how the older woman got her phone number in the first place, too.

'_Must be Fuji-san.'_ She mused in puzzlement._ 'Although... I don't think I ever gave him our number… I don't think the number's in the phonebook, either.'_ But she soon decided to shrug it off. If Fuji was the one who found out, she felt that maybe she didn't want to know. He was getting bolder and bolder these past few days, after all.

_Sigh_

Many people were looking at her even more weirdly now, thanks to that blasted wanabee-sadist.

No one new found out she was a girl, which was very good... but, what everyone _did_ hear was her and Fuji's little 'scene' during the district finals. As well as his little antics afterwards. Seriously, who could have missed those things?

She frowned at the recollection of one of the worst things that it cost her.

_-Flashback-_

"_Ano… Echizen-san…?"A familiar-looking boy called her name. He looked very nervous._

"_Who are you?"She asked._

"_I'm one of your fan club members." He replied as his stuttering continued. Ryoma's eyes twitched at his statement and gestured to turn around._

"_Okay… I'm busy so I'll get going now."_

"_A!" The boy exclaimed to get her attention._

"_What?"She glared at him making the 'boy' squeak._

"_Are you g-going out with Fuji-senpai?" _

"_Of course not." She replied brusquely, somewhat offended._

"_I-Is it true that you're gay, then?"He asked bluntly, but apparently this one was rhetorical since he continued before Ryoma could deny the accusation. _

_The half-boy gulped and breathed deeply._

"_Please go out with me!"_

_-End of Flashback-  
><em>

And another sigh came out of her lungs.

She sure was having her share of weirdoes.

* * *

><p><span>TENNIS COURTS, after school<span>

Practice was going on as usual… except for the fact that there were thrice the number of scouts and reporters hanging around the school.

"Geez. How annoying." Momo muttered at the group of strangers but sweat-dropped upon seeing Eiji pose energetically for the cameras.

"Eiji-senpai…"

"What? It's fun~ I would've preferred it if O'chibi's here with me, though." The red-head stated as his pose became more acrobatic making many reporters clap in amazement. Momo concluded that they probably feel as if they were in a circus.

_And speaking of O'chibi..._

"Now that I think about it, where _is_ he? He didn't show up during morning practice as well, right?" Momo asked himself, but his eyes involuntarily went to a certain Tensai. _'Maybe…'_

"Saa… What is it?" The said tensai asked as he felt his kouhai's stare. Momo gulped.

"Nothing!"

And proceeded to do anything that didn't have anything to do with the sadist.

**...**

Fuji Syusuke was worried, and that was an understatement.

'_What if she realized without me noticing? Is she avoiding me?'_

He _had _been incessantly flirting with her lately. Not only was it fun, but it gave him an excuse to get closer and closer to her. He didn't think it was much trouble at first, since he did it whenever Tezuka was away and Reina seemed not to care.

If anything, she was ignoring his attempts as if she was categorizing all of them as 'jokes'.

But Reina was a smart girl. As dense as she was when it came to these things, she was _bound_ to notice that he just wasn't playing around after some time. He knew she didn't like him that way. It was one of the reasons he started flirting with her… he hoped that _maybe_- just maybe- some of his endeavors would get her to look at him _that_ way.

He frowned. The fact that she might just be avoiding him was enough to tell him they didn't have any good effect on their relationship…

He stared at Tezuka, who was then watching the juniors practice with a critical eye. He admired him as a tennis player, but definitely not as a rival for Reina's attention. He frowned.

'_Why _him_?'_

**...**

Tezuka Kunimitsu caught his friend's glare. He stared back with the same intensity.

He never saw any of his attempts at school, but he certainly heard rumors about it. It took effort to shake the want to strangle whoever was talking about it. He heard about him holding her hands and hugging her countless times during the week. He didn't know if all the rumors were true, but he couldn't help but feel disconcerted. It is well-known that Fuji had charmed countless girls only to break their hearts afterward-

He shook his head of the thoughts. They sounded untruthfully bad.

Tezuka knew his friend wasn't a playboy, nor did he seduce any of those girls who confessed to him. So, he didn't know why his mind suddenly came up with all the bad images of Fuji.

He frowned at a realization. Was his mind convincing him that _he_ was a better man?

It was not like him to feel so insecure so he finally asked her about Fuji the previous night. He opened the topic she had been so graciously avoiding for a few days.

It relieved him to no end when he found out that Reina didn't take Fuji's hopeless flirting as anything serious. He feared that she wasn't telling him anything because she was uncomfortable to talk about how close she and Fuji had become. But it turned out she avoided the topic because she thought that it was too much of an embarrassing joke on Fuji's part to actually have a decent conversation on it.

But that didn't mean that he wasn't mad at Fuji.

The fact that he's been taking advantage of Reina's innocence was enough to drive him insane. If he wasn't Tezuka, he probably would've beaten his friend until he was half-dead.

He separated his stare from Fuji and looked at the rooftop. He then turned back to Fuji, as if to say something.

His rival nodded in understanding.

**...**

"Where are they going?" Eiji asks, Oishi shook his head.

"Our three best players are going to go MIA, now. Too bad for the reporters then..?" Momoshiro grinned.

"Ara? Three, senpai?" Horio, who just arrived, asked. Behind him were Kachiro, Katsuo, Tomoka and Sakuno.

"Yep. Tezuka , Fuji, and Echizen." Momo replied.

"What happened to the senpais?" Sakuno asked meekly, blushing at the sight of Oishi.

"Dunno. They just walked out and went somewhere…" Momoshiro shrugged.

"I see…" Sakuno muttered, deep in thought.

"Ryuzaki?"

"Aa… It's nothing…Ryoma-kun is in library duty by the way, sorry we weren't able to tell you this morning. He overslept, you see…" She said carefully using the male pronouns in front of her fellow freshmen.

Momo snickered. "That's just like her."

"Her?"

"I mean _him_." Momo corrected anxiously, getting the freshmen to raise a brow. Tomoka and Horio are both much too noisy to be entrusted a secret.

"So, if you'll excuse us. We just joined the girl's tennis club, so we can't be late." Sakuno stated and bowed.

**...**

*A few minutes later*

"Kawaii…"An orange headed idiot muttered to himself as he eyed the girls behind the fence. His smile turned into a grin as soon as his eyes landed on a cute braided girl with a pony-tailed friend practicing just on the other side of the court. They weren't even behind the fence so it was a perfect pick-up opportunity.

But when he went to approach the girls- **_BAM!_ **- he seemed to have bumped into something and it was soon followed by a rainfall of books.

He looked down and he saw a _very _angry-looking fairy. He saw its eye twitch in annoyance.

**_CLANK!_**

And that was all he could remember when he woke up in the clinic an hour later.

And upon realizing that he was in an unfamiliar place with the absence of cute tennis-playing girls- He sat up immediately.

He quickly looked around and quickly found another human being.

_Too bad she was so old._

"W-What happened?" He asked the nurse as he touched his aching head.

"A bunch of guys brought you in. They said they found you lying on the floor with a broken nose."

'_Broken nose?'_He frantically thought as he mechanically touched his nose. He cried-

His beautiful, _beautiful_ nose…

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO_!"

**...**

Echizen Ryoma was already in a very bad mood because of those pesky reporters and scouts totally ruining the tennis atmosphere. That encounter with a strange idiot definitely made it worse.

The orange-headed goon was not looking in his way making Ryoma drop all the expensive books. She looked at the culprit. Not only did he ignore her for a moment, she saw that he was looking at her friend with a _very_ perverted stare.

She punched that guy on his surprisingly sensitive nose, but she _still _wasn't feeling any better.

ROOFTOP

The two figures who just reached the rooftop remained silent for a while, as they did as they went there. The two are close friends- there was no denying that. They also respected each other greatly in many respects.

And things about love weren't one of them.

"I assume that you want to talk about Reina." Fuji stated, breaking the silence. Tezuka nodded, looking at the clouds, before returning his eyes on his companion.

"You're going too far. You're starting to make her uncomfortable." He said. Fuji kept his smiling face.

"Her? Or _You_?"

Tezuka frowned. "You know you're causing people to talk about her. You should know _by now_ how she disliked such excessive attention." Fuji frowned at the emphasis.

"What makes you think you know her better?"

"I do. And I don't think I need to prove it to you." He answered stoically.

"Excuse me?" He asked raising an eyebrow in slight irritation.

"Don't make me repeat what I just said." Tezuka responded monotonously. Fuji grimaced.

"You talk as if you own her." Tezuka winced by a centimeter, but regained his composure immediately.

"I don't. As her upperclassman and her captain, I care for her well-being." Tezuka stated, masterfully controlling his expression.

"Don't lie to me, Tezuka. We both know you care for her as a _man._" Fuji accused.

"So what if I do?" The captain immediately answered taking Fuji by surprise. He did not expect him to admit it so readily.

"I care for her more." He managed to respond.

"I doubt it."

"What makes you so sure?" He asked, almost gritting his teeth.

"I have no reason to doubt it. Someone who truly cares for her wouldn't do anything to make her uncomfortable." Fuji felt a surge of anger go through him by the end of his sentence. He truly admired the man (in tennis), but it simply wasn't fair. Why did Reina-

His eyes widened as he felt something snap within him.

"I am_ not_ making her uncomfortable. She wasn't even _affected_ by what I do. She had no idea what I feel and that I'd do _anything_ for her… which was why I _don't_ understand why she's in love with _you!_!" He uncharacteristically shouted to his rival's face.

Fuji's eyes opened even more in surprise at his own actions. He just let out the pain of being in the sad side of unrequited love into one emotional sentence.

And… to make everything worse for him, he even told his oblivious rival that the girl they were fighting for preferred _him_.

* * *

><p><span>TEZUKA HOUSEHOLD<span>

Ayana was cooking dinner when she heard her son enter the door and climbed hurriedly to his room. She quietly followed him up to see what could've made him so frantic.

She silently sneaked a peek at the door which was left slightly opened because of his rush. Her son opened his desktop while taking out his wallet and then stared at a picture hidden in one of its pockets, while he waited for the computer to set. She couldn't see the contents of the photo but she saw her son smile so beautifully at it.

Her heart beat so quickly in excitement. Her son was in love, she was sure. And she wanted to know who the angel was.

She could no longer take the tension.

"Need some advice, dear?" She said making Tezuka flinch.

"M-Mother!" He exclaimed and quickly hid the picture.

"Mou, Kunimitsu. No need to hide it. I know that that's a photo of a certain girl, no?" She bluntly stated getting her son to blush.

She squealed internally at the sight,

'_Thank you, KAMI!'_

_**...**  
><em>

_Silence_

Kunimitsu remained as stoic as he could. He pondered long and hard whether or not to show his mother.

But soon enough his mother's undeniable convincing powers made him finally but reluctantly do so. Ayana gasped upon seeing it- the photo of both her son and an incredibly beautiful girl sleeping so peacefully under a tree. She wished like so badly that she was there to take her own photo.

"Oh God… she's really pretty." She muttered.

Tezuka didn't say anything. He was too busy suppressing his blush.

"But I hope you don't like her just because of her beauty." She commented making Tezuka frown. How could his mother think that? Reina was so much more than that. Ayana on the other hand saw how she offended her son, and so let the topic go.

"Who took the picture?"

"Her mother…" He replied monotonously.

"Do you have a contact number of her mother?" She asks getting her son to gawk at her.

"I was kidding!" She said half-lying. She really _did_ want her own copy, after all. Her son shifted his stare to the screen, she smiled. She and her son never had such an intimate and lively conversation before.

She had _got_ to thank that girl once she met her.

A few more moments of silence passed and the young Tezuka cleared his throat.

"Mother, mind leaving my room please?" He said. It was hard to chat with someone important when someone prying was watching.

"Why?" She asked, feigning offense.

"Mo-"

"Hai, Hai." She 'begrudgingly' muttered but then smiled. She kissed her son in the forehead and whispered,

"_Good luck_." And walked away.

_CREEK_

Tezuka let out a deep breath upon watching her mother leave his room. He then turned back to the screen and waited patiently for Reina to go online. He wanted to meet her as soon as possible, and the best way to ask her with the given circumstances was by e-mail.

But she didn't. He sighed in disappointment.

'_It seems that I have another day to endure, then.'_

**...**

ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD

Reina could not help but shake a disconcerting feeling away, but decided to ignore it, she was simply too tired to think too much. She scratched her chin as she turned the doorknob, but when entered the house she was _not_ expecting a strange shoe lying around. She intuitively knew whose it was… and who he brought along with him.

She gulped and hastened her pace towards the living room.

"_Meow~"_Her lovely cat called, as expected. But the knowledge did not hamper the surge of glee one bit.

"Karupin!" She exclaimed almost running to the couch and stretched her arm to accommodate the cat.

_Click_

Fuji took another memorable picture. Unfortunately, this time, he was noticed by one of Reina's guards. He quickly hid it in his pocket before the man could grab it.

"Oi! Give that to me!" Nanjiro ordered.

"Give what to you, sir?" He asked, feigning innocence.

"Y-Your phone damnit! You just took a picture of my baby!"

"I did?" He asked acting oblivious.

"D-Don't act so innocent, you—"

"What's going on here?" Rinko asked as she entered the room, frowning from all the noise.

"This brat took Reina's picture!"

"Is this true?" Fuji shrugged.

"You shouldn't accuse guests you know…" Rinko said, lecturing her husband.

"B-Bu—" His argument was stopped by the door bell.

_Ding Dong_

"Ara? Who could that be? We sure are getting quite a few visitors, lately…" Rinko muttered as she went to open the door.

Nanjiro went to peek at who the guest was, only to freeze at the sight. Ryoma tilted her head in ponder. She stood up with Karupin in her hand when her now-blue father shouted,

"Damned Old man! You're still _alive_?"

**...**

Akimoto Jun sighed as he blew the steam out of his tea.

"You're as energetic as always, aren't you Nanjiro-_kun_?" He said in an old-manly way.

"You too... how old are you? A _hundred_?"

"How rude. I'm only 67 years old." He stated and the shifted his gaze at the two teenagers sitting across him. The boy stood up and bowed to him.

"Ah… no need to be so formal, Fuji-kun. I'm here as a visitor of the Echizen family and not as the Minister of Education."

Fuji weakly nodded and got back to his seat. He found out through Oishi that the Minister himself was in charge of the teaching thing imposed to him and Reina, but he couldn't help but be surprised at the fact that he and Reina's father knew each other so well.

"You aren't?" Ryoma asked rudely. Akimoto laughed his usual hearty laugh.

"Well, for now… real business would start once Maya-chan and Ludwig-kun arrives."

"Maya? Takeda Maya?" Rinko asked looking delighted. "My~! I haven't seen her in ages!"

Nanjiroh, on the other hand, scoffed satirically. He and Maya never got along. If she wasn't a girl, they would've killed each other already.

"Ludwig?" Ryoma muttered.

"Ah… He's your protégé. He's from Germany and he just turned 6 a few weeks ago. I know we're a few weeks late in what we promised due to some changes, but no harm done, right?" He declared laughing again, making Ryoma cringe. '_He's really like a business-oriented Santa Claus.'_

"In any case, like I said I'm an old man visiting an old student for now. So let's leave the formal issues for dinner, right?"

"Ah! Dinner." Rinko exclaimed, completely forgetting she was cooking. "Looks like I'm going to have to cook for 4 more."

Fuji blinked. "Ah… I'd love to stay but I really need to go." He said politely. His brother's going home for dinner today so as much as he'd love to stay, his family really came first.

"That's disappointing… take care on your way home, then Fuji-kun." Rinko said and went back to the kitchen before it burned.

"Thank you for having me." He said and was escorted out the door by Reina. But when Reina was about to close the door, he somewhat blurted out an issue that had been bothering him all day.

"Ne, Reina… What would you do if Tezuka says—" But he stopped himself- he knew the answer after all, even when the girl herself didn't.

"Fuji-senpai?"

He just slipped back to his mask again.

"It's nothing. Dya."

Reina arched her eyebrows but threw no further questions. She was too much in a good mood, holding Karupin and all in her house once again...

"Just get home in one piece, I guess." She mumbled, before finally closing the door.

Fuji smiled and stared at the the piece of wood that separated them at that moment for a while. Thinking about it that way made him want the door to disappear, but he shook the odd thoughts away in the end. He let out a deep breath before going down the temple stairs. But as he reached the ground though, he knew he was expecting the normal blank street... and not a street with a limousine.

"Fuji-kun?" he turned to where the voice came from. It came from one of his teachers, who was then standing a few meters from him. He nodded in assent but then his eyes found its way on a little boy. He was sternly looking at the dirt standing another few meters behind the teacher.

He frowned. He did not like the atmosphere the boy was giving.

"Fuji-kun? What are you doing here?" The woman called again, this time he answered.

"I came to return... something I borrowed to Echizen-kun."

The woman blinked. "I see…" And then waved her hand nonchalantly."We'll be off then."

"Hai." He muttered never taking his eyes off the boy who soon detached his stare from the ground and directed it to him. He shivered at its intensity. Anxiety suddenly hit him and his head automatically whipped to the direction he came from.

'_Reina…'_

...

The two new guests entered relatively unceremoniously. Takeda looked strict as usual, while the boy who distanced himself from everyone took Reina's attention immediately.

He was looking at the floor most of the time, but she definitely felt the strong aura of hatred that surrounded him. One look at the expression pasted on his inhumanly beautiful face and she knew that he _really_ distrusted adults. He reminded her of someone, and the possible traumatic experiences he probably could've experienced.

No, the boy didn't remind her of herself. For the nth time she _did not_ have any traumatic experiences in the past.

He reminded her of somebody _else_.

**...**

As they ate dinner, Akimoto casually explained the arrangement in more detail.

"It's decided that you take him to school. The involved school- which is to say, Seigaku- had respected rooms for the children to hang out and do productive things as they wait for their teachers. We've also hired a few very established psychologists to tutor them from time to time."

"Ah. In addition, we've also asked the schools to make exemptions for you student teachers. It's decided that you will automatically get a full grade on subject you're most likely to do that well on, anyway. Say in your case, it's every subject aside from Home economics."

Her eyes twitched at the statement. And the damned old man just laughed again.

An hour of chatting and bickering (of Maya and Nanjiroh), they decided to finally take their leave. The two adults only, though. Apparently, Ludwig will stay with _them_ for the whole 6 months. She didn't even know they _had_ a guest room.

She looked at the blonde boy, who in turn glared at her. She didn't flinch but, instead, looked straight into his eyes. The boy frowned irritably and walked deeper inside the house. She let out a deep breath and walked the old man (since her mother was still chatting with Takeda) outside the door.

Akimoto saw the earlier scene and paused his step, making the girl stare at him.

"He'll go around if it's you." he said out of nowhere.

"What do you mean?"

The man chuckled (again). "I mean he'll open up its you."

She raised an eyebrow. "What makes you so sure?"

"You did help someone who used to be like that before, right? Although I don't think he had worse experiences than Little Ludwig."

She did not answer him.

"I know you might think that he should've been Ludwig's teacher since he's here in Japan anyway, but isn't it better to pair him up with the healer rather than a person who had the same sickness?"

She raised her eyebrows in puzzlement.

"What are you talking about old man?" She asks with genuine confusion. Akimoto blinked.

"Hmm… I don't think my sources are wrong… But oh well!"He shrugged, bid his farewell (again), and walked away.

Ryoma frowned at his fading figure in puzzlement, and dismissed the hopeful thoughts that maybe- just maybe- that old man was talking about that person. That _he_ was here in Japan- with her.

But she shrugged. If he was, she would have known about it. So she just cursed the old man for planting that blasted seed of hope.

"Insane old man..."

.  
>.<p>

**END Of CHAPTER XVIII**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_

**Chapter XIX: Reunion**

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<br>**

**Frostfire613 - **Aren't they? XD Thanks for the comment~!

**jury28 - **hahaha. Syuu and Mitsu - I imagine them in chibi-mode. lolz Thank you for the review~~! And I love the quote- why hadn't I thought of that? XD

**animelover4ever69 - **Now that I think about it. I see 'OT3' and 'OT5' in summaries. Someone said they're characters but what do they mean, exactly? What does 'OT' mean? lolz. Thanks for the comment~

**Mintleafeon - **Thanks for the review! you enjoyed this chap- *hands over camera* Good luck with getting a shot of Ryoma. XD

**blueberryxn- **oh yeah that was so random. What made you ask that? XD thanks for the review and my answer is... I wouldn't know, I never met such people. Hahahah

**Vanilla-Tenshi Markings - **I shall hope you like the pillar pair better for this one~! XD They're going through a lot more things than what's happening so far, after all. hehe Thanks for the comment!

**Incoming Yandare - **I wish I know what 'Barbecue Magistrate means. google doesn't know lolz. please tell me! XD Thanks for the comment~

**Chordoverstreetfan - **Hmm. My other story will have her end up with Atobe. Although... it's not doing well now and Atobe has yet to appear so I can't guarantee you'll like it.

**etsuki-chan4 - **Yep. Other than the cannon trips, I'll add a few more in the... near future. lolz. Tnx for the comment!

**rfijblue - **Yeiy~ glad you liked it. XD and wow you sure had waited a long time for this chap, huh? hahaha. Thanks for the review~!

**fictionlover22713 - ** Thanks for the review~! lolz. I realize that now. I just added a support statement from Tezuka in the last chap though ahaha. XD

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading!<br>But please pause for a moment  
>and write below. ;D<br>**


	19. Reunion

In case you still do not know, I make fanarts! haha. I made two specifically for this chapter, so I would love it if you check it out. Comments here or in DeviantArt would be lovely!

Hope you enjoy this!  
>And please don't hesitate to REVIEW!<p>

**DISCLAIMER: I WISH I OWN Prince of Tennis**

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XIX: Reunion<strong>

ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD

When the Greek god Morpheus finally decided to hit one of his favourites again, Rinko recalled something amusing. She said a quick goodbye to her old friend, Takeda, and watched her daughter yawn her insides out. The girl lazily climbed up the stairs to her room and Rinko followed her.

_Creak_

Reina was really about to just lie down her bed and enter her slumber. But then just a few steps after closing the door, someone knocked it. She sighed in exasperation and opened it- not bothering to hide her troubled face.

It was her mother and she handed her something which, in her grogginess, she just passively took.

She blinked the moment she saw it, and her sleepiness was momentarily swept away.

It was a mobile phone.

And as soon as she looked at the screen, an eyebrow rose and she stared at her mother. The woman flinched.

"What?"

"Why are you only giving me this _now_?" She asked seeing that there were about a few hundred messages and about a thousand calls.

"I wanted to surprise you~! SURPRISE!" Rinko beamed as if it was a nice thing to do... and proud that she managed to hide it for so long from her extremely vigilant daughter.

"What's the reason? And how long have you been hiding this?"

"We bought as soon as we came here from Japan."

"What?" She exclaimed, but then regained her composure and continued her interrogation. "You didn't answer my first question."

"It was fun."

Reina frowned placing a little scared sweat-drop behind her mother's head.

"Okay, _okay_. We just wanted to see how you fare on a new environment without those two's help. They don't know you're in Japan, by the way."

Reina blinked.

"I'm confused. It's like you're implying that they're-" Rinko grinned at her daughter's rare expression. Her eyes were extremely wide- and it was full of delight. Reina immediately gaped at her phone. There was no name tagged to the number so she wasn't really sure who had been contacting her. She browsed the call and text log. About 90% of them came from a single person, while the other 10% from another one.

And then, as if on cue… it rang. The ringtone was Canon by Pachelbel… one of her favorites.

She breathed deeply in preparation to answering the phone, to level her delight. Rinko smiled at the scene and went out of the room to give her daughter some space. After the door shut. Reina clicked the 'answer' button and carefully placed the phone near her ears. She was excited, but hell she would say that so openly.

And so, she inhaled a huge amount of oxygen and cleared her throat.

"_Moshi Moshi_?"

**...**

*The next day*

It was a bright Saturday morning and Reina thought she'd oversleep today. She immediately stood up when her alarm clock said 8:00am, and Karupin woke up due to her movements. She petted her cat and smiled.

_Today's the day._

"Gomen, I woke you up didn't I?" The cat meowed fondly.

"I wish I could bring you with me today, he'd be so glad to see you again…" She smiled. "Oh well, I'll bring him here when I can. Count on it, ne?" Karupin lifted his head as if to thank her._ "Meow~!" _he sounded, and Reina proceeded downstairs to get ready.

She got ready way faster than she usually did, which was already very quick for a girl. Unfortunately, she was the only one... and she crossed her arms and tapped the floor with her feet in impatience.

"ANIKI! What's taking so long?" She shouted with her usual lazy-yet-annoyed tone of voice directed at the stairs.

She frowned in irritation and then shifted her gaze at the dining table not far away from her. Ludwig was all dressed up and waiting for her super slow brother. He looked like a normal boy, really, with his khaki shorts and hooded sleeveless jacket. Actually Reina looked relatively girly today, too. She was not wearing her glasses and wig today, and was dressed up in a simple beige turtle-neck partnered with a below-the-knee skirt of the same color.

"Sorry I had to take you, too." She said to the brooding boy. The boy didn't answer.

She sat on a chair right across him.

"You know, you'll remain like this forever if you don't open up and get over it." The boy frowned at her statement.

"You're noisy, old hag." He muttered making her eye twitch.

"Fine. I'll keep quiet for now. But you know if you keep all those anger inside of you you'll die young." She said and blinked. _'Well, that came out wrong…'_

"And I don't mean kill someone and get executed." She said as an after thought. And to her surprise, the boy lowered his head making her grin- He was suppressing a smile, wasn't he? She did it all the time with her hat.

And a moment later, they (finally) heard footsteps coming down from the stairs.

"Finally Aniki, you get ready like a girl!" She stated and he shook his head in disapproval.

"Oh _please_ spare me the insults; you make it sound as if I have the worst case of metro sexuality." He shot back and she snickered knowing all-too-well _who_ he was pertaining to.

"That's true…"

"Was he the one who called you last night, though?" Ryoga asked casually, and she shook her head.

"Nope." Ryoga scratched his chin in wonder, he was expecting him. "Really?"

"Yep."

"Oh well…" Ryoga shrugged, before grinning slyly.

"We'll just have surprise _him_ even more, then."

**...**

HOSPITAL

They reached the hospital and there were relatively few people around. They looked around for the nurse station, and found it a second later. Ludwig decided to grimly sit on a chair, while Ryoga asked for the room number.

Reina though looked around in curiosity and her eyes ended up on one of the check-up rooms. She had no idea why, but she went closer to it- as if she could tune out every other noise and hear the owners of the voices inside that room. When she arrived, she saw the door was slightly opened hence she was now able to hear the conversations loud and clear.

"Congratulations Tezuka-kun, your arms is healed." An unfamiliar male voice said. Her eyebrows met at the mentioned name.

"That's really good news, right? Tezuka!" A voice that sounded like Oishi's exclaimed.

"Aa…" The deep baritone voice (that made Reina suddenly blush) monotonously replied. She sensed a joyous atmosphere, but it was cut when the other voice added.

"But, you can't play long and stressful games, okay?" He said. There was silence for a while but she could tell that Tezuka nodded reluctantly.

She didn't move. _'Is that why he held back when we first played?'_ She thought but frowned a second after.

'_How come nobody but Oishi-senpai knew about this?' _She asked herself a bit irritated. She thought that he let her know important things like this regarding the club. He always had- or so she thought. Whether or not it would make her worry was never an issue. She felt _hurt_, to say the least. Maybe she was overreacting, but she couldn't seem to make the sadness and disappointment disappear.

_Tap Tap Tap_

Footsteps. They were coming out, but she didn't plan on moving. And yet she was moved anyway… by her brother.

"Oi, what are you doing there standing and staring at the door?" He asked and he grabbed her shoulder to lead her deeper in the corridor. She turned around anxiously as they were walking and saw that Tezuka was looking at her, wide-eyed and startled.

She stared back at him, of course, but she unconsciously followed it with a frown- making him freeze.

And that was the last she saw of him that day before getting into the elevator.

**...**

Room 307

A handsome young lad with long light blue hair was sitting peacefully on his hospital bed. He was smiling genuinely the whole day; he was simply in a good mood. And something even better was going to happen today, he felt, but he honestly had no idea what to expect. He remembered the little event the previous night that made him so utterly and uncharacteristically cheerful that day in the first place.

It's been a year since he last saw his most important person and months since they had contact. How he missed his friend so much… It was like he was shot by the bullet of happiness when she _finally _decided to answer her phone.

They talked about a lot of things, and in the end he had finally caught the courage to ask where she was. She said she was _somewhere_, but didn't tell him where. Of course, he didn't like that she kept her location a secret but he just couldn't help but be satisfied with just hearing her voice.

This was why he, at 15, almost had a heart attack when she appeared suddenly at the door.

"Seichi…" Reina smiled at the sight of her best friend.

"R-Reina?" He called looking incredulous. She laughed, making him blush.

But as moments passed by, Yukimura Seichi still could not move, even when he felt that his soul got up and went to hug her. It was Reina who approached him and sat on the side of his bed. Upon realizing her proximity, he sat up straight and hugged her sideways.

He smiled as he put his chin over her head and whispered, "I missed you…"

She chuckled lightly. "Me too."

They stayed like that for a little while when someone cleared his throat.

"Nice of you to notice me, Seichi." Another one of his good friends muttered with a dumbstruck blonde kid beside him. The raven-haired man was visibly annoyed for two reasons. One for being ignored and another one for the fact that he the brat _still _made those little scenes with his baby sister.

"Ryoga?" Yukimura grinned evilly and hugged her tighter. Ryoga's eyes twitched.

'_This guy _still_ has a knack at intimidating me, too!'_

"O-OI!" was all he could utter, and only to be ignored (again).

"Why didn't you tell us you were sick?" Reina commented, obviously annoyed- now that she thought about it. She did not know what type of disease it was yet, and all she knew was that he was diagnosed a year ago. But she never would've imagined it as anything too serious.

"That's right. How can you not tell us you have a terminal illness?" Ryoga said, purposely omitting the fact that he was going to undergo operation to heal it. Reina's eyes widened. She didn't show much emotion with her face, but they knew they were there. She quickly pushed him away, stood up, and aimed for the door- but before she could take a step out of the bed, Seichi managed to grab her and return her to his chest. He softly held her cheek to comfort her, hugging her tightly once more.

"Don't worry. Ryoga was exaggerating." He said, glaring at Ryoga in a way that Ryoga knew he was going to see hell soon. "I'm going to undergo operation in a several weeks, and they say that since I'm still so young and athletic that it's probable that I'll survive."

"Really?" she asked weakly as she tilted her head up to look at him in the eyes. He kissed her in the forehead placing a weak smile on her pretty face.

"Just like old times…" She muttered making Yukimura chuckle.

"Oh God. Talk about PG13." The mysterious blonde boy muttered with a disgusted tone at the scene surprising everyone. Yukimura raised a brow in annoyance but Reina smirked.

"Who would've thought you could joke." She said, forcing the boy to turn his head away.

Yukimura blinked at the interaction.

"Who is he?" He asked and Reina told him what happened the previous night- that she was forced to teach a child... but what _kind_ of kid she kept quiet about.

"I'm not surprised…" He muttered almost to himself. The boy was surprisingly like him, albeit he wore a shell more similar to Reina's.

He instinctively put on his façade.

Reina flinched at Yukimura slipping into his mask. He was similar to Fuji that way, but they smelled so differently that she never really made an association.

But then her mind wondered. _'That would probably mean that they're hiding behind a smile for different reasons altogether.'_

Yukimura nudged a point near her spine, making her flinch.

"What could you be thinking about?"

"I was just thinking of someone… A friend of mine also hides behind a creepy smile-mask like yours, Seichi. I was wondering what his reasons could be…"

Seichi frowned. "_He?_"

Ryoga scoffed. "You must be taking about that smiling-brat."

Yukimura frowned even deeper. "Like I asked, who is this _he_?"

Reina's eyebrows met. Again.

"What are you so annoyed about?" Yukimura flinched. He breathed deeply and tried to interpret her expression. It was hard for someone who people call a sadist, obviously. But being close friends with Reina had some additional bonus. He felt that the guy was no more than a friend to Reina, so he managed to calm himself down… somehow.

"AH." Reina uttered suddenly as if recalling something pulling him out of his daze. "I didn't know you bought Karupin in Japan. I thought you bought him somewhere in the Himalayas or something…"

"Because he's a Himalayan cat?"

She grinned.

"How'd you know?" He asked her, curious.

"You know the friend I'm talking about, right?" she responded and he made a slight nod.

"He was Karupin's former owner."

_FLOP_

"Oi, Oi." Reina let out a low chuckle, seeing just how much he flinched. "You almost pulled your dextrose."

He laughed awkwardly. "Ah... but seriously? The world is not that small."

"But its true!" Reina raised her voice, a tad amused.

"Hai, hai." Seichi smiled. "What was his name, again?"

"Fuji Syusuke."

"I'll take note of that, then."

...

_KNOCK KNOCK_

A few conversations later, someone else was by the door. They stared at it for a moment and realized that it was locked. Apparently, Ryoga was the one who did it.

"Why'd you lock it?"

"I don't know. To keep this kid from escaping, I guess..." he answered softly as he pointed to the boy, careful enough for the person outside not to hear.

Yukimura batted an eyelid as he got out of his gaze. "That must be _him_."

"Eh? He's coming?" She questioned, startled.

"He always visits me during Saturdays. You didn't tell him you're here? He's more frantic in calling you, you know…"

"I _know_. It was why we wanted to go and surprise him at his house." She whispered hoping that no one from the outside would hear.

"Better think of something quick. Or he'll go insane."

Reina stared at the door that was continuously getting knocked for a moment.

And _just_ as the nth knock sounded, she had an idea.

And she smirked- making everybody else grin.

**...**

Atobe Keigo thought that this weekly visit would be like usual.

'_Why the heck is the door locked?' _He irritably asked himself, he could swear he could hear the voices he longed for inside but it could very well be just his imagination. He'd been dreaming of _her _voice lately, as if he was going to hear it soon. HA! He _wished._

The girl disappeared from his radar and _then_ refused to answer his incessant calls.

He gritted his teeth. His mood was definitely worse after that thought and the stubborn door knob wasn't making it any better.

'_I swear. If you don't turn _now _Ore-sama will crush you."_ He threatened the door knob. He was about to attempt on actually destroying it when it turned.

"Ara? Keigo? What took you so long to open the door? It wasn't even locked…" Yukimura stated, feigning innocence.

Atobe sensed the odd atmosphere but decided to shrug it off.

"Ore-sama will change the door knob next time he comes h-"

His proud declaration was abruptly stopped by two fingers suddenly poking the two most sensitive points on the side of his hips.

He reflexively squeaked in shock.

"GAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH_AAAAA_!" Ryoga exploded as he wiped the tears off his face.

"HIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI!" Yukimura sedately laughed out loud.

"WAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH!" Reina uncharacteristically cackled while holding her diaphragm.

"SHAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!" and Ludwig chortled.

The three blinked. _'Ludwig?'_

"GAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"HIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI!"

"WAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH!"

The three laughed again at the boy's unexpectedly bizarre laugh.

Both Atobe and Ludwig blushed furiously in extreme embarrassment.

"URUSAI!" Ludwig yelled and was about to run out the door when Ryoga successfully blocked it. Atobe, on the other hand, was dumbstruck at the sight of the people who was laughing at him. Especially at a certain girl who _hadn't_ stopped laughing at his face…

"Reina…" He called her name gently, as if she was going to disappear if he didn't. The girl heard this and grinned beautifully at him. And then he winced when she stretched her arms, gesturing for him to go give her a hug. He definitely wanted to- so much... but he had his pride. He wasn't as sweet as Seichi with her.

In fact, they were never really sweet to each other at all.

"Who would want to hug you?" He managed to blurt out, trying to hide his blush desperately.

Reina chuckled demurely. "Come on, Monkey King."

He flushed at the name. He thought that she'd been calling him that since he annoyed her to no end… but it never failed to make his heart beat faster all the same.

"Ore-sama doesn't hug, he gets _hugged_." He proudly stated, definitely _not_ expecting her to do just that. He froze at the feel of her warmth, not quite knowing when his breath was going to return.

"Gomen ne, I wasn't able to answer your calls. Mother hid the phone from me." She said while her cheeks rested on his chest. He felt his heartbeat go faster and faster, _'Reina should hear it loud and clear, but...'_

'_She must be thinking that my deadly fast heart beat was the effect of my anger…' _He thought grimly. She never would've imagined otherwise.

And without thinking… he hugged her back, letting his face rest on her soft hair. He really did miss her like hell- there was no use denying it. Yes, he had tons of excuse for all his calls and texts that were far from what he truly felt.

But right now, all he cared about was that she's back.

**...**

*A few awkwardly long seconds later*

"Oi! That is waaaaay too long Keigo! Let her go!" Ryoga yelled right at his ears. He saw that Yukimura was giving him one of his deadly stares. He instinctively let her go and looked at the perplexed Reina. He stuttered.

"O-Ore-sama f-fell asleep! Don't get full of yourself, commoner!" He exclaimed indignantly. She blinked, not knowing what got over him.

"What's with him all of a sudden?" She asks pointing at him. Ryoga shrugged and Yukimura just acted as if he didn't have an idea. It was Ludwig who actually needed to vent his embarrassment on someone- especially since the spot light was on him already anyway.

"He's probably just being a diva."

_CLAMP_

"That was very rude!" Atobe exclaimed. "And who are _you_?"

Ludwig shrugged and went to the window to watch the city.

A vein appeared above Atobe's head and he was about to demand the boy to apologize when Yukimura skillfully opened a topic. Namely, 'Why they hadn't known Reina had been in Japan for such a long time.'

For some reason, the four of them felt like sighing.

They each told their stories, and Yukimura felt like shaking his head. They put together all the pieces as to how come none of them knew the others were there.

"That's just like our mothers…" He muttered, and Ryoga groaned.

"Tell me about it. I mean, how manipulative can they get?"

"Now, Now. Life as housewives need entertainment too, you know." Yukimura reasoned nonchalantly. Ryoga's eye twitched at the answer.

"Besides, even when they did it mostly for fun I don't think they would've gone through with it without good reason." Reina added, before telling them what Rinko told her the previous night.

"Okay, so what about our side?" Keigo asked.

"They probably think we wouldn't be able to hold ourselves." Yukimura stated. Atobe frowned.

"Ore-sama can take anything. I don't see why _this_ is even a challenge, though." He declared making Yukimura smile his knowing smile.

"Hai, Hai."

* * *

><p><span>A MANSION IN TOKYO<span>

Atobe Renko laughed heartily at what she's hearing on the phone. She was having a 3-way conversation with her 2 bestest best friends in the world.

"I bet my son would've jumped to his limo and went there the second he heard Reina is there." She replied when Rinko told her about Reina's amusing expression.

"I wish I installed cameras on Seiichi's room…" Yukimura Yuko muttered.

"You do know that's illegal." Rinko said reflexively, being a former lawyer could do things to you.

Yuko giggled. "Yes Ms. Former lawyer. I won't do it."

Renko smirked. "As if. We all know Yuko has her ways…"

"Geez, Renko! If I go to jail I will drag you with me. You know… as accomplice." Yuko answered slyly.

"You won't dare—"Renko expressed feigning terror.

When Rinko chuckled, a momentary silence was heard. Yuko was the one who broke it.

"So… Rinko… mind helping us in deciding our children's futures?"

* * *

><p>Later that night, in front of the hospital, a lone figure stretched his arms shamelessly making his three companions step away from him.<p>

"What the hell, Aniki. It's not like its midnight already." Reina said sluggishly to her sleepy looking older brother. What she meant by that was that there were still so many people to see him yawn as if he just came from a hundred year sleep.

"That means he can't drive." Atobe commented, and he cleared his throat in an attempt to sound heroic. "Ore-sama will let you ride his limousine to your home."

"Ehh… Keigo's being nice again~" Ryoga teased making him flinch while Ludwig and Reina remained stoic, as usual. Atobe threatened to leave him on the streets if he didn't shut up. Ryoga apologized but he wore that annoying smug face of his that made him want to order his driver to run him over. But of course, he wouldn't do that. Yet.

Several minutes later, they arrived at the floor of the staircase leading to the temple. Atobe, unsurprisingly, batted his royal eyelids as soon as he saw their new home.

"You live in a temple?" He asked incredulously.

"Yep."

"You're officially a commoner now." He said without taking his eyes off the stairs. Reina smirked.

"Fine by me, Monkey king." She said, and went out the door. "Thanks for the ride."

"Of course!" He replied arrogantly as he folded his arms and tilted his head up high.

"See you soon." She stated, but Atobe didn't respond. And when she closed the door, he felt his posture immediately soften. He stared out the window, directly at the girl who was heading to the stairs. He ignored the two other people she was with and smiled.

"See you soon."

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XIX**

**Coming Soon:  
>CHAPTER XX: <em>Realization<em>**

* * *

><p><strong><em>...<em>**

* * *

><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**Blueberryxn - **Ohhh i see. haha. And they could say that because they never met you. XD And thanks for the comment~!

**Road and Tyki - **I had... ages ago. haha. I'm rewatching the show now but its still ages before I reach the nationals. I am so looking forward to it! XDD Thanks for the comment~

**animelover4ever69 - **Sounds complicated... hehe. So that includes, like, Yaoi? Thanks for the comment~

**MintLeafeon - **hahahahaha. Thanks for the review~ And oh yeah, here it is! And I think its making our lives more complicated. XD

**ChordOverstreetFan- **Yeah... but Ryoma goes a OOC in this chap though. XD

**anon- **Thank you for the review~ And they will... uhmm... soon? XDD

**etsuki-chan **- Yep, 's OOC and he's adorable. hahah. Thanks for the review~!

**kitTen18sMile-**(Ch17) oh my- HAHHA. Well, that was a... vehement... protest. XDDD But I can't do that. hehe

(Ch18) Yeiy! I shall try my best to make you like the pairing. *grin* thanks for the comment~

**rfijblue-** haha. They would find out in a... different way. XD Yep, its Oishi. Fuji was just visiting her to give Karupin back. And the grandpa-reina meeting _will_ happen, but not until aaalll the way near the end. And finally, thank you so much for the review~! XDDD

**Shadowhawk - **Thank you for the review~! And yeah, its why I've fallen for him. hhahaha~ About the drama- Its coming, but I have to warn you that according to my experience, I am no good with drama. Hihihihihi

**Offtototralaland - **Thank you for the comment~! And I don't mind at all!

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading.<p>

I would appreciate you pausing before proceeding to the next chapter, and let me know your reactions. ^^


	20. Realizations

Thanks for reading so far! Especially those who supported me by sending me their feedbacks. I LOVE YOU PEOPLE!  
>And please remember to review for me, okay? Every and each one of them really makes me so so so happy! They are practically what motivates me now...<p>

And finally, Please like the Prince of Tennis Fanfiction page~ hahahaha.

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XX: REALIZATION<strong>

TEZUKA HOUSEHOLD

Tezuka Kunimitsu was on his bed and stared blankly at the ceiling. He hadn't get out of it since he lethargically fell onto it the previous night. He simply could not forget the reproachful frown that Reina gave him. As her image passed through again, he reflexively placed one of his hands over his forehead as if it would make him feel better.

But it never did...

_'She must have heard about my arm.' _He mused grimly and took his favorite picture out of his wallet. It was the front view of the wonderful composition that they made. It was the photo that showed the closeness they developed best. He wondered if it was still there…

They had an understanding, he knew. He told her everything that has something to do with the team. There were even a lot of slip ups about his personal life, as well. They were not lovers, but Tezuka knew that their relationship was much deeper than friendship.

So hiding something such an important issue like that was out of the question.

Yet he _did_.

He mentally beat himself up for being such a coward.

He just couldn't tell her the fact that there's a chance that he might not be able to play Tennis for long. Tennis was the first thing that connected them, after all. He was scared of what might happen to them once it was gone.

He abruptly sat up, but he careful not to crease the photo. As he stayed in that position, his eyes ended on his computer... and how seemingly useless it had been. He sighed.

Reina didn't log-in the previous night, and he knew because he waited until midnight. It had already been more than 2 days since they had an actual conversation, and now it seemed that she was not planning on putting an end to that.

But he certainly did.

He quickly stood up, determined- he was not going to lose her, especially because of a cowardly mistake. He looked out the window, wearing an expression he would never think he could make over something that wasn't tennis.

He was determined.

_'I will tell her everything today.'_

* * *

><p><span>ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD<span>

It was a nice and warm Sunday morning, and Reina was planning on sleeping in. But for some reason she woke up inconveniently early. Her eyes ended at Karupin, who was _still_ deep in slumber.

'_Lucky guy.' _she mused and mentally moped about no longer being able to go back to sleep- all thanks to all those annoying thoughts about a certain stoic-faced guy. She uncomfortably rolled around her bed, careful not to hit Karupin, in an odd attempt to squash the recurring thoughts.

She wasn't mad at him. She was simply not in the mood to see, or even think, of him right now. It was so troublesome.

There were just thoughts that baffle even geniuses.

'_GAH!'_ She shouted internally and abruptly stood up from bed. Lying down would not help her clear her head.

It was time for a walk.

**...**

Several minutes later, on the first floor, Rinko was cleaning the living room. when she heard someone approach the door.

"Reina? Where are you going?"

"A walk." She replied stoically.

"A _walk_? Alone? How many hours would _that_ take?" Rinko cynically asked her cross-dressing daughter. Reina's sense-of-direction was _not_ getting any better. The girl shrugged.

"I'll be home before dark." She stated lazily. "I let Ludwig borrow my mangas so he has something to do. You should ask him to help you, though."

Rinko sighed. "Take care…"

Reina nodded, and walked out the door. But few minutes later, upon reaching normal ground level, she was not expecting her co-teacher staring blankly at the temple's stairs.

"Oishi-senpai?" She asked, puzzled at the dazed teen. He flinched back when he realized she was standing right in front of him.

"What were you thinking about?" Ryoma asked straightforwardly, Oishi blushed at the sudden recollection of what he _was_ musing about. He stuttered as he _tried _to tell Ryoma what he was there for.

"A-a-a-uhmmm... You see, I'm here t-to ask y-you if y-you're a-alright i-if I d-d-d-da-da-d-" he gulped. Ryoma raised a brow at his incoherence.

"Senpai. I'll ignore you if you don't compose yourself now." She stated bluntly without changing facial expressions. And then Oishi suddenly slapped his face making her step away. But the slap, it seemed, made him more confident.

_'Shaking your brain like that can help…?' _She mused curiously. _'Maybe I sh-'_

"I… I asked Ryuzaki out on a date. I was planning on confessing to her today, but I wanted to know your opinion."

"Are you sure you want to date her?" She asked a bit skeptical.

"Hai." He said firmly. Ryoma frowned.

"I don't think she's ready for a new love yet."

"Pardon?" Oishi asked, confused and fearful.

"Her husband just died of old age a year ago." she said with a hint of sadness in her voice.

"…"

Oishi stared at her, saying nothing for a while. But then it hit him.

"I meant Ryuzaki Sakuno, Echizen." He responded with an awkward smile getting Ryoma to blink.

"Oh. Haha…"

"Hahaha… So, what do you think?" He asked nervously again.

"I think you two would be great together."

"Really?"

"You can let out your rants and complains to each other."

"Hn?" Where did _that_ came from? Nobody knew...

"Everyone needs to express what they feel after all. It's continuous ranting on me, on Sakuno's case."

He blushed at the thought. It seems that, like him, Ryuzaki could also go out of character when it they needed to burst.

"So… where are you meeting?"

"At the park." He answered and Reina mentally smiled at the reply. _'Perfect'_

"Mind taking me with you there? " She asked immediately, determined to take advantage of not getting lost so early in the day. Oishi shrugged.

"Very well..."

**...**

Ryoma separated from the two after greeting Sakuno. They didn't notice her at all after she took a few steps away from them. The look they give to each other was eerily familiar. It seemed like the emotion she saw back then got stronger, too. She involuntarily scratched her head.

'_Calculus is so simple compared to this…'_

She sighed._  
><em>

"Ja." she whispered and inconspicuously separated from them. She started walking around the park, watching the birds fly around as she listened to the rustles of the leaves. She breathed deeply and decided to climb up the tallest tree she could find.

It was pretty effortless to climb it and she gently sat on a sturdy branch to sit and relax there for a while. Unfortunately, her peaceful trance was immediately halted by a rustle above her head. She lazily tilted her head to its source.

_'Am I really seeing this?'_ She asked herself as she stared at the figure who was literally _sleeping_ on a tree.

She carefully stood up and went to peek. She winced. It was a boy around her age, sleeping peacefully several meters above the ground. Soon enough, she found herself poking him gently.

"Oi, wake up. You'll fall down."

But the boy didn't budge. It seemed that the boy was a very heavy sleeper. She sighed and decided to ignore him. He probably knew what he was doing, anyway, so she returned to her original position and listened to the wind.

A few minutes later though- her trance was yet again disturbed by the boy above her. She irritably glimpsed at him only to find out that he was about to fall.

She immediately stood up in an attempt to er.. catch him, but to her surprise the boy woke up and maneuvered his body like a monkey in such a way that he landed feet first on Ryoma's branch- remaining balanced as he held the branch above with both of his hands. He was in a daze for a second but somehow, a sudden burst of energy entered the boy's body and he gaped at her.

"Hello." He grinned, and Ryoma nodded stoically.

"What are you doing here?"

"Relaxing. What about you? It's dangerous to sleep on a tree branch."

"Nah. I'm used to it. I fell during my first times, but that was years ago!" He said, smiling rather energetically.

"Ah." She uttered than looked at his feet. "Make sure you don't let go of that branch. I don't think this one can't hold the two of us."

"Yeah… Hey what's your-" he was about to ask her name when he saw that she was staring on the ground. There were two unfamiliar people, looking about their age. A girl with reddish-brown hair was holding hand-in-hand with a much taller boy with spiky hair.

Ryoma was startled - and that was an understatement. So _that was_ why the atmosphere Oishi and Sakuno were emitting seems so similar… she also recalled that her parents also gave it off, albeit she didn't really notice until now because she had always felt it there.

'_What did they all have in common…?'_ She asked herself, pondering deeply.

"They're in love." The boy commented out-of-nowhere, making her flinch. Her eyes widened as she continued to observed the two's expressions. Now that there's a new possibility, new insights flooded through her head.

Although now she wished she had never got them.

"It's so sweet~ the sound of lo—"The boy's poetic ranting of the two now-fleeing lovers was stopped at the sight of the person beside him. He was touching his head in despair, and he was looking as if he was in pain.

"W-What's wrong…?" he asked, extremely worried, and he automatically let go of the branch above him to attempt to comfort him.

_Crack_

The abrupt sound immediately pulled the other boy out of his daze.

His eyes met his golden ones- and he shivered under his glare.

"You _idiot_!"

...

**_THUMP!_**

"Itteeee! _ITTE_!" The boy shouted as he tried to massage his butt.

"That's disgusting." Ryoma commented before standing up straight, earning the boy's gape. "What's_ with_ you? Do you have metal bones or something?" She shrugged.

"You know, for someone who's been sleeping in trees for years, you bones sure is weak."

The energetic boy flinched.

"Am _not_!" He exclaimed, offended. Even if, admittedly, the strange raven-haired boy was extremely cute- he woildn't settle for insults directed at his athleticism.

She ignored him. She had to go somewhere where she could be alone. She _couldn't _be seen like this.

"I have to go. Ja ne." She stated, waved, and walked away as fast as she could... trying her best not to fall down along the way.

*A Few Torturous Minutes Later*

Reina eventually reached a relatively isolated section of the park, but her mood certainly did not get any better.

"Darn it." She muttered to herself as she massaged her ankle. She earned herself a little sprain thanks to that blasted sloth. She was lucky the boy was so dense; otherwise her attempts on hiding her injury would've easily been discovered. In any case, she prayed that her sprain was nothing serious.

She sat herself on a bench at that secluded area in the park. An hour passed quickly and anyone had yet to pass by, much to her relief. She was not going to risk people seeing her right now when she was literally in the state of panic.

She recalled the scenes she'd witnessed earlier- along with her parent's occasional PDAs. She could hear her own heart beating in nervousness and despair.

How _could_ she not know?

Or more importantly- how could she be so _dense_?

She shook her head. Maybe she was thinking of this the wrong way. She realized that she saw those emotions on Seichi all the time, too… but she had already convinced herself that it was because they were extremely close friends.

'_Maybe that's it!'_ She thought to herself hopefully. Maybe it was. But it didn't explain the confusing feeling _she_ was having.

The faces of Tezuka and Fuji suddenly popped in her head. How come she felt so differently about their feelings? What was the difference? They were both her friends…

But then, what if those feelings were like what her father had for her mother?

_No.  
><em>

She could not let Fuji feel that wa-

She clenched the poor bench in confusion at a realization.

_'Why only Fuji-senpai?' _She asked herself in befuddlement, but she was quick to dismiss the thought for now. It was a territory that even she, as hard as it was to admit, was not willing to go to.

Not yet, anyway.

It was then when her mind wandered to Tezuka.

Reina knew that there was no way that he would look at her anymore than a friend. Somehow the thought made her feel so oddly... _disappointed_.

Did she dislike him?

No… if anything it was the exact opposite.

**_Doki_**

Her heart pounded even more crazily at the realization. A little more and it would probably burst- making pounds of blood to gush out of her teeny tiny body.

Morbid, yes, but at the moment... she just wanted all these confusion to end.

These types of emotions- they would ruin her friendship with Tezuka. She did not want that. Never.

'_Please, Kami… Make these emotions disappear…' _

She was so _scared_. And albeit no actual tears came, she certainly felt like they were flowing out.

Apparently, her face showed it.

"Reina?" A familiar voice called worriedly and she flinched whipping her head to its source. It was Fuji- just her luck- and the surprise caught her a little too of guard. She was not able to move.

Fuji ran to her immediately after seeing her in such a state. "What wrong?" He asked as he forcefully held her shoulders, almost begging her. "Tell me Reina. What happened?

"Who did this to you?"

She couldn't answer. She was so confused. And why was he not wearing his mask again, _now_ of all times? She did not want to see those emotions. Not now.

"Fuji-senpai… Please wear your mask again." She implored weakly, trying to sound as calm as she usually was. But it was simply no use.

Fuji stared at the girl with sad eyes, and did what she asked him to. He did not have to be a genius to know that she had already found out about his feelings. And that she was mourning the fact that their friendship might get ruined.

He turned his firm grip on her shoulder into a gentle one. He opened his eyes and let them lay on hers… She was already so bewildered with what she found out.

And there was only one thing he could do for her.

He smiled and gently patted her head.

"We'll always be friends, Reina. No matter what happens." He stated, trying desperately to hide the pain he was feeling.

Ryoma just stared at him for a moment, absorbing his every word with optimism.

Soon enough, she beamed… so brightly that _he _wanted to be the one crying instead.

* * *

><p>Tezuka Kunimitsu had been standing in front of the stairs for a few hours now. He went up earlier only to find out that Reina was not at home. Rinko said that he should come by before dinner but he could not wait.<p>

It was almost lunch time, he guessed. He could feel his stomach grumble lightly, but he immediately dismissed the idea of going away. He wanted to talk to her as soon as possible, so he didn't want to miss her when she came home earlier than anticipated.

He stared blankly at the clouds as he waited. He wondered what Reina would think of his confession. Unlike before, there was hope now that she felt the same way. But if she did, was she aware of them? Probably not…

He shifted his eyes to the ground as he reached a certain thought. Was this really the right thing to do? What if he just confuses her? And what if Fuji was _wrong_?

Why did he believe the sadist so quickly, anyway?

Was he _that _desperate? Probably.

Tezuka recalled his previous attempt. He was ready for the consequences that time, because there was a part of him that knew he wouldn't be confessing to her that day. But today, nothing remotely similar came. He was definitely going to tell her his feelings soon, and he sighed in an attempt to calm himself…

And prayed to God that he would be strong enough to handle whatever happened.

**...**

"Fuji-senpai. Are you sure you're okay with this? I'm pretty heavy, you know." Ryoma muttered in embarrassment as she looked at Fuji's back. He said he was going to give her a piggy back ride because she obviously wouldn't be able to walk properly for at least a few hours.

"It's fine. We're _friends_ aren't we?" He said, careful of putting good emphasis on the word. He knew that Reina would agree because she was eager to make sure that they were, indeed, _friends_.

He smiled cynically at himself.

'_You are so pitiful, Syusuke.'_

**...**

Tezuka continued to wait for the girl, and it seemed that she _did _arrive earlier than anticipated. But he certainly didn't expect who she would be with…. or more importantly, how _close_ they were. His rival winced at the sight of him, but immediately smiled with his usual facade.

"Tezuka, how strange to see you here." He said silently, taking care not to wake the girl he was carrying.

Tezuka stared at her, sleeping peacefully on another man's back. He couldn't help but feel annoyed, no matter how innocent they actually looked.

"Don't worry Tezuka, we're officially just friends now." Fuji muttered, almost mockingly making Tezuka look at him skeptically.

"You confessed to her?" He asked, trying to hide the cruel anticipation in his voice. Fuji shook his head.

"It was the opposite. She deduced it herself, and she was so confused that I felt that I should let her know that my feelings for her are just as a 'friend'." He stated, looking at Tezuka.

"That means that she probably categorized _your_ feelings the same way, too." Tezuka remained silent and Fuji sighed. "I'm sorry, but it's up to you to change that. You're on your own on this one, my friend." He slightly turned his head away, as if to shake intangible something off.

Tezuka continued to remain silent, not quite knowing what to say. Fuji saw nothing would happen if they just stood there and he slowly turned to expose Reina.

"You should take her upstairs." Fuji muttered sounding indifferent, but Tezuka knew better.

"Are you sure about this?" He asked. He wanted to agree, but he also knew how much Fuji loved Reina. He would've taken advantage of these situations to spend time with her.

"Saa… It's fine. I needed to sulk as soon as I could, anyway." He joked sardonically. Tezuka could easily sense the pain in every word- Fuji was his friend, no matter how much rivalry they felt.

"Fuji, I-" He was cut by Fuji letting go of Reina so abruptly that he instinctively went to get her. It was odd how sure Fuji was that Tezuka would be able to catch her.

And that he did, flawlessly capturing her petite body and carried her in his arms.

'_She's still so light_', he thought blissfully as he recalled that night, momentarily forgetting about Fuji. He continued to gaze at he girl who was now on _his_ arms... but his trance was immediately cut by Fuji opening his eyes and glaring at him. There was a heavy silence that surrounded them for an instant before Fuji finally opened his mouth.

"I'm still a selfish person, Tezuka." He stated looking straight into his eyes. "Hurt her once, and I swear I'll take her away from you."

Tezuka expression darkened.

"That will never happen." He replied firmly. Fuji stared at him for a while to see his determination a little while longer. He closed his eyes again.

"Let's both hope you're right." He answered, "...for all of us."

And slowly walked away.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XX:**

**_Coming Soon:_  
>CHAPTER XXI: Confessions<strong>

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**fictionlover27713 - **Nope, not yet. XD And she won't stay mad at him for long... hahaha. You know, considering the little spoiler i inserted above. XDDD Thanks for the comment~!

**ChordsOverstreetfan - **Yes. Yes it was. Ahahah. But I did throw Keigo's names here and there just for the heck of it. XD Thanks for the comment!

**animelover4ever69 - **Oh. I don't think I can pull it off just yet though. Thank you for the clarifications~!

**lovelyanimeangel- **trolololol. XDDD Yeah, They're awesome aren't they? Too bad they won't appear again for a while. Thanks for the comment~!

**kiTten18sMile - **Gahahaha. I have to agree with you on the guys being as gorgeous as ever. But what do you mean by transparent? XD Thanks for the comment!

**Lady Syndra - **Thank you for the review~! Gold. *chuckles* And I Hope this one came out fast enough~

**MintLeafeon - **Tell me about it. And I'm getting dizzy with the harem, really. XD That's why I'm going to go at 'em one at a time ( i mean one guy vs one guy)... for now, anyway. And it's so cute when Tezuka gets in trouble. haha. Thank you for the review~!

**Blueberryxn - **XDDD Thank you for the review~! Tehee

**etsuki-chan4 - **Ahahaha. Yeah, I hope I can make it epic. XDD Thanks for the review~!

**jury28 - **Oh wow.. ahahah Thanks for the review! And I do get that a lot, the other three really _are_ hotter. Maybe in some other story after this since i'm pretty attached and/or totally in-love to Tezuka right now. XDD And God bless to you too^^

**rjifblue - **No, No. Thank _you_ for reading. ^^ agaghahah- what? If only your voice can actually reach her... XDDD And about the meetings and alliances... I'm not quite sure how its all going to turn out, so lets just wait and see! Thank you for the review!

**nanigirl15 - **Ohohoho! Please _please _do that! You can take your time, of course, and I'd be waiting patiently for them. XD Thank you for the review!

**Shadowhawk - **(Ch18)I'm happy you finally got internet again! Yeiey! And about Ludwig... hmm... so far I don't see him causing trouble. XD Maybe later. And I hope your other questions were answered in the previous chap (ch19), ne? hahahaha.  
>(ch19) Oh here's the update, 20 minutes after this review. XDD And lol, your questions would be answered soon. Not now though, haha. Tezuka and Reina still have a lot to finish before those other two. tehee. You're as sweet as always, huh? XD And thank you for the reviews~<p>

* * *

><p>One of <em>the<em> best rewards we can receive is your feedback!  
>Please take another minute or so and write below. :D<p> 


	21. Confessions

**I would really appreciate you checking out my profile once in a while... **I made it so that it would be helpful to most of us. ^^ And **Thank you for reading this far! Special hugs to those who reviewed! As well as those who fav'ed, subscribed, and C2d this story!  
><strong>

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXI: Confession<strong>

ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD

It was an hour past lunch time and there were two figures glaring at each other by the temple's front door. One of them was an old man wearing a monk's brown Yukata, and he wore the same smug expression as the moment he opened that door. He felt this coming and he narrowed quickly subjected the boy under his rudely suspecting glare.

"Are you sure you didn't do anything?"

"Yes, sir." The boy, on the other side of the door, answered firmly. He wore the same constant expression the whole time the older man glared at him. His deep umber-colored hair danced with the wind as he stood firm under the man's prying stare. Eventually, his mind wondered, imagining Reina- who was then probably sleeping serenely on her bed. Her brother volunteered in taking her to her room while their father stayed to have a man-to-man's 'talk' with him.

"Are you _sure?"_ he pressed, putting his gangster-face closer to the boy's. But as much as normal people would want to punch him in such a face, it did not even make Tezuka wince.

"I will never take advantage of her, Echizen-san." He answered sternly. Nanjiroh blinked at the boy's resolve, but did not show it. It was not everyday you see a 15-year old emit so much control, after all.

But Nanjiroh was pretty stubborn, himself.

"Prove it." He stated as if it was possible. He smirked at the boy's momentary silence when he felt something _big_ hit his head.

"My _God_, Nanjiroh! The poor boy helped your daughter _twice_ and this is how you repay him?" She yelled, and then shifted her gaze to Tezuka. "I can sense that you're hungry. You haven't eaten lunch yet? It's pretty late..." She asked in motherly tone of voice. Tezuka shook his head.

"Come on in, then." She smiled, and- _**THUMP!-**_ kicked Nanjiroh out of the way.

**...**

"What do you mean by twice, hon?" Nanjiroh asked as he placed ice on his bump, sneaking glances at the boy who was eating alone on the dining table, a good amount of distance away from where they sat.

"How do you think he became a family friend in the first place?" She asked. Nanjiro stayed silent.

"Tezuka helped your daughter improve with her right hand because her left palm was injured." She explained, carefully omitting what _time _they actually practiced. She has taken special liking for the boy, and she knew that the feelings Reina and he had for each other were far from mere puppy love.

Besides, she knew she had to do everything in her power to make sure they end up together. Otherwise _those_ two would make a move.

_-Flashback-_

"_So… Rinko… Mind helping us in deciding our children's futures?" _

"_What do you mean by that?" she paused. Wasn't it already decided that all of them will go to top universities in either America or England?" Somehow Rinko was not quite so sure if she wanted the conversation to go on._

"_What we mean is… have you ever considered arranging your daughter to one of our sons?"_

_Her eyes twitched.  
><em>

"_Hell NO." came her immediate answer. It wasn't not that she disliked the two, in fact she actually though either of them would take great care of Reina. It was just that she knew her daughter was stubbornly independent- the mere idea would be enough to make her want to beat someone up to death. _

"_Why not?" Renko asked._

"_What century do you think you are in?"_

"_Oh come on. I need insurance that my son will marry a fine young woman!" Renko exclaimed, apparently serious at what she was suggesting._

"_Hey! What makes you think she'd end up with _your_ son?" Yuko intervened. Rinko blinked at the turn. _'Didn't they come up with this idea together?'

"_My son—" Renko's bragging was stopped by Rinko clearing her throat._

"_We all know she sees your sons as nothing more than friends. And... she already has someone she loves, and I happen to vote for the boy."_

"_What? Already? She's too young to fall in love!" Renko cried in despair. Rinko scoffed._

"_What? Aren't you just suggesting marriage earlier?"_

"_You are so crazy. This is why my son is a better candidate." Yuko commented, amused._

"_Shut up, Yuko."Rinko muttered._

Silence

"_Good."_

"_You should shut up as well, Renko." Yuko commented after 5 seconds of silence._

"_Why shoul—"Renko was stopped, yet again, by Rinko's interference. Rinko knew that her two friends would go into their hour-long childish arguments again._

"_In any case, my daughter is already taken. You two better dismiss the idea of making your sons court her."_

"_Hai, Hai…" Yuko replied lazily. But then Renko decided to propose something else._

"_What about you letting my son be Reina's concubine—?"_

_-End of flashback-_

Rinko shuddered at the memory. Renko can be so... inhumanly weird at times. She couldn't remember how many times she hung up on her friend because of her bizarre ideas.

"Her left palm was injured?" Nanjiroh asked, pulling her out of her trance. She shook her head and spat in a _very_ condescending tone of voice,

"You didn't even notice? And you call yourself her _father_."

_Crack_

And so, Echizen Nanjiroh immediately turned to stone.

It seemed like the girls of the Echizen family were somehow related to Medusa, after all.

* * *

><p><span>DINING AREA<span>

"Thank you for the food." Tezuka said to Rinko as she walked to him. He reflexively looked at the direction she came from and saw a statue of Reina's father. He frowned in anxiety.

"Don't worry about him. He'll come around… sooner or later." She smiled. Now that her husband was in his own world and Ryoga was probably watching his angel of a sister sleep, she could finally talk seriously with Tezuka.

"When are you planning on confessing to her?" She whispered, just to be sure that her husband wouldn't prematurely turn back to normal. Tezuka blinked at the blunt question and slightly tilted his head downward, trying to control his blush. He cleared his throat.

"…today, Echizen-san."

Rinko beamed. '_FINALLY!'_ and then frowned in discontent. "You should start calling me Rinko, son."

She laughed like crazy on the inside, making the poor supposedly stoic boy flush even deeper. "I c-can't do that, Echizen-san…" he managed to utter. Reina wasn't his girlfriend yet…

_Girlfriend_

More blood found their way underneath his cheeks.

* * *

><p>"OI! Gaki. Play with me!" Nanjiroh yelled at Tezuka, who was actually quite startled and batted an eyelid. Rinko's predictions came true, after all. Her husband did come around (a little too quickly)… and with <em>way<em> more energy than before. She just let out a deep breath and proceeded to the kitchen to make some juice for them.

Tezuka saw Rinko leave, and knew immediately that Nanjiroh would in no way back down. He did not know if the monk was a good player, but he didn't really know how he could refuse, either. Hence he remained silent and stood up to follow his challenger to the courts.

"One set-match then." Nanjiroh stated. The boy simply nodded as he took his racket and Nanjiroh noted immediately the almost unnoticeable awkward movements of the boy's left arm.

"Is your left arm alright?" He asked, and he obviously didn't expect the question. Nanjiroh groaned. "Tell me you're ambidextrous."

The boy nodded stiffly and he grinned. "Good. This is not the moment to disappoint me, after all."

_Silence_

And Tezuka remained staring as the old man switched to his non-dominant hand as well... still wearing that smug look of his.

At least he knew where Reina got her arrogance from.

**...**

*Several minutes later*

"Game and match! ME." Nanjiroh declared arrogantly as he looked at the heavily sweating teen. The boy didn't get a point, but he was definitely better than many of the pros he battled before.

"You're good, kid. Be sure to take care of yourself." He stated as he scratched his chin. He was really not someone who gave compliments and Tezuka, sensing this, grinned internally at the praise. This man was definitely the greatest tennis player he had ever seen- let alone _played_ with.

He stared at the area where the man stayed the whole time. He did not move from that circle. It was amazing to say the least; he automatically recalled the match and analyzed the shots in his brain.

Nanjiroh noticed this. "Ehh… have you figured it out?"

Tezuka nodded. Nanjiroh smirked, impressed.

"But even if you do. It's an almost impossible technique to pull off." He said, despite knowing that with practice this extremely talented boy could pull it off.

"I'll do my best." Tezuka just replied stoically.

"I call mine the Samurai Zone. I'll call yours_, if_ you succeed, Insert-your-name-here Zone."

"Tezuka Kunimitsu, Sir." He corrected as he stretched his hand for a handshake. Nanjiroh grinned.

"Whatever."

**...**

Rinko smiled at her husband and her son-in-law-to-be's (hopefully) interaction. The two were currently drinking the refreshing fruit juice she made at the bell cottage. In all honestly, she was extremely impressed. She knew the boy would eventually win over her stubborn husband, but not _this_ quickly.

"I'm impressed that you'd noticed." Nanjiroh replied at Tezuka's prior question. Tezuka told him that his and Ryoma's play styles were incredibly similar.

"You could say her play style as Ryoma is a carbon copy of mine."

"How can she develop two different styles?"

"It's complicated. Even I can't explain it. All I know is that, she rarely uses the style that actually lets her grow… _her _style."

"Aa… Her potential definitely increases when she uses that." Tezuka commented monotonously. Nanjiroh blinked.

"You played with her before?" he asked incredulous. Reina rarely showed that style for the past 6 years.

"Hai."

"Eh… " he expressed, he knew just by looking the boy's eyes that he would do something to help Reina. He smirked, stood up, and dusted himself.

"You better take good care of my daughter." He stated just before going down.

…leaving an utterly embarrassed Tezuka blush to death.

* * *

><p>Reina woke up from her rather satisfying slumber, she stared at the ceiling for a moment before sitting up. She stretched her arms as if to stretch the remaining grogginess to death before looking around her room. Her eyes ended on Karupin sleeping peacefully beside her, eventually shifting to Ryoga- who seemed to have shamelessly fainted on the floor. With the peaceful atmosphere enveloping her at the moment, she couldn't help but feel that all the confusion earlier was just a dream.<p>

She looked at her attire, and knew that it was just wishful thinking. It was the same as when she was in the park, after all, and it said everything was all too real unless she sleep-walked and dressed-up in the attire but she doubted that. If she did have a sleep-walking session she would have at least one can of Ponta somewhere in the room.

'_Fuji must've taken me home' _she thought and made a mental note to apologize to him the next day. She stood up careful not to step on her brother. She nonchalantly took her wig off, and then headed down the stairs.

"Ohayou, Reina." Her mother greeted as she helped Meino in the kitchen. Reina just smiled hoping that she looked normal. She half-expected for them to question her about Fuji, but thankfully they didn't. And although odd, she did not dare question her luck. Not everything that day should be bad, after all... right?

If only her mother wasn't smiling so slyly-

"Ah, Reina. Your father and a guest forgot to bring the tea cups back here. Mind getting it for me? It's near the bell."

Reina narrowed her eyes but concluded that she must be being paranoid. It was a mindset since her little... panic-attack earlier. Yes, she was just over-thinking things. She hoped. And in the end, she just made a simple nod and lazily walked to the said destination.

Only to stop her steps as soon as she found out just who this 'guest' actually was.

She froze and many thoughts ran through her mind at the rate of 1000 words per second.

'_No, No, NO, NOO! I'm not ready to face him yet. Shikussooooo.' _Then she flinched._ 'Am I blushing right now? He just can't find out about my feelings. He just _can't!'

She touched her face to see if it was as hot as she feared.

It wasn't.

It was even _hotter_.

'_Craaaaaaaaaaaaap' _was her last thought before she instinctively ran away.

**...**

"Ara? Why is she running?" Nanjiroh asked his wife as he approached her as she stood at the veranda. When he saw his daughter going to them, he stood up immediately for a feign 'I'm-leaving-you-alone-because-I'm-such-a-good-guy' plan but he was attacked by confusion when she suddenly sprinted away from them.

"This is her first time to feel this way, Nanjiroh. She must be confused." She sighed, disappointed that they wouldn't be able to witness the big confession. She also shook her head at the fact that Tezuka was still too dazed to move… effectively letting her daughter run farther and farther away from their prying eyes. She tried to think of a way to make him move when, by some miracle, her husband beat her to it.

"Oi! GAKI! If you don't move _now_, I'll take back what I said earlier!" Nanjiroh yelled out of nowhere. Rinko flinched slightly at the threat and then shifted her gaze to the recipient's direction.

The boy immediately stood up and ran after her daughter.

'_Ma... at least it was effective.'_ She mused, deciding whether or not to follow them... you know, now that she was still holding her handy camera.

* * *

><p>She finally lost him, she was certain. He was inconveniently fast. She ran around the area, taking advantage of her defective sense of direction.<p>

Yes, it was defective.

Which was why she had no idea how she got to _this_ place. She looked around, perplexed…

She ended up in the courts where they first met.

"What the heck..." she breathed out, panting, and then let her back rest on the tree trunk. After taking a minute of rest, she looked up the tree and decided to climb up. She wanted to stare at the court where she first saw Tezuka, but she was in no state right now for anyone to see her... so it was, at the moment, her best choice. And in a sense, a tree _was_ the perfect place to stare at a memorable place without having to worry about people staring at you.

Not that there were anyone there, but one never really knew...

She let her mind wander and go to places in her brain, and she simultaneously smiled at a recollection. Who would've thought that her technical interest in him that time would develop into something so _deep_- that he would bring her _these_ type of problems...? Not that any of them was his fault- they were all _hers_, but she honestly did not expect she'd fall in love at a very young age of 13. Okay, she was still 12... making it all the more appalling. Theoretically.

She couldn't believe that bitter-sweet feeling she was having. Darn it. Oxymorons attacking every single cell of her body- her feet rested on the branch, and she defensively buried her face to her knees, taking the fetal position.

'_He must think I'm crazy. Suddenly running away from him like that…'_

'_He'll probably think I'm crazier once he found out _why_ I ran in the first place.'_

'_I don't want these feelings…'_

Her hold tightened. '_I don't want to feel this way about him.'_

"Reina!" She froze at the sound of his voice, frantically looking for her. She turned at his direction. He was standing there on the courts and was looking around. Reina was sure she lost him ages ago from where they were standing.

'_Could he have guessed that I'll be here?'_ She asked herself, and her eyes widened immediately at a possible implication. _'Did he know how I feel, then?' _

Her internal voice screamed.

She felt herself blush furiously again. It was just too embarrassing. She stared at him for a while, watching him look for her… not hiding the worried expression he had. She smiled sadly. The fact that he was looking for her, despite her unrequited feelings must mean that he still thought of her as a friend, right…?

'_Maybe… we could make this work…'_ She thought hopefully and decided to go down…

…only to lose her balance.

_Shit_

...

She closed her eyes in anticipation of many broken bones and an incredible amount of pain-

**_Thump!_**

The ground was much softer than she thought. Was it _that_ warm as well?

She opened her eyes half-expecting that she was in heaven. That she must have broken her neck the nanosecond she hit the ground. And_ she certainly_ wasn't expecting to see Tezuka's relieved smile.

"Te-Tezuka?" She shouted involuntarily. How'd he get there so quickly? Wasn't he at the other side of the court the last time she saw him? But more importantly…

"TEZUKA!" She called again, this time with a worried tone as she forcefully tried to get down from his arms by herself. But his arms seem to be frozen stiff. "Your arm! Is it alright?" She asked in panic putting her arms on her shoulders in worry.

But Tezuka just smiled at her fondly, gently letting her down albeit not letting her go fully. One of his hands was on her hips while the other found its way on Reina's crimson cheeks.

"Tezuka?" She asked nervously. He just passively caressed her face.

"See that, Reina? My hands are effortlessly stroking your face. You're not as heavy as you think you are, you know." He said in an uncharacteristically soft voice. Reina couldn't say anything, she just left herself get drawn in by Tezuka's unmasked gaze.

Tezuka wanted to kiss her so badly, but he remembered what Ryuzaki said about a man Reina despised stealing her first kiss. So he begrudgingly stopped himself, in fear that what he was going to do will arouse unpleasant memories for Reina.

But he wanted her to know what he felt. How helpless he was against her. And yet how empowered he felt every time she smiled at him.

So without thinking he pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead...

And then her nose...

And then, one of her cheeks.

But then, Reina relaxed her tense and shocked expression... unconsciously making her lips part slightly. He instantaneously froze, and his brain shut down for a second.

_Just one second._

But the next thing he knew, his lips was already on hers.

**...**

_Click!_

_Click!_

_Click!_

"Oh my, it seems that their first kiss was earlier than I expected." Rinko smiled mostly at herself because her husband fainted a few seconds prior.

She took a few shots of the scene and squealed internally again. Then she felt her husband stir.

She quickly put her hand on his mouth to silence him. He was about to shout and attack the two, and she was not going to allow his over-protective husband to ruin the moment. She waited for him to calm down before letting him speak.

"Y-You said t-they'd have a conservative relationship!" He vehemently whispered to her face. She sighed.

"Well, kissing your lover isn't exactly non-conservative." She calmly replied at her heart-broken husband.

"Don't worry. I _know_ they won't go any farther. They're much more mature than that." She said in attempt to calm her husband. Besides, she was sure it was true. She often wondered if those two were really just teenagers.

Nanjiroh exhaled deeply in understanding. Rinko smiled, proud that her husband was actually being logical. She slowly put down her camera, and decided to give him a reward:

A nice kiss of his own.

**...**

Reina felt so light, so free, yet so protected. It was so weird that she didn't think the sappy words that could somewhat describe her feelings as cheesy. She recalled that her concept of kisses before was that it was the most disgusting thing in the whole world- Tezuka effortlessly just changed that.

'_I never thought someone's lips on mine would feel so pleasant…'_ she mused shamelessly as she tried her best to breathe. Their lips continued to remain locked for what felt like an eternity later, eventually decided to part. Tezuka breathed deeply in an attempt to slow his heartbeat, he was sure that if he didn't it would explode.

It was no use. And he wanted so badly to tell her more... but sadly he lost the strength to speak, so he pulled her even closer to him and let his chin rest on her head. He carefully placed her head on his chest, wanting her to hear his deadly heart beat.

Reina gripped the back of his shirt, and smiled.

"Thank you. I know what it means now…" Reina whispered to him, recalling the last time he did the same. Tezuka hugged her tighter.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice…" She added, now that she knew that Tezuka had been hiding the same feelings for a while… she couldn't help but feel bad. He had to endure all those strong emotions by himself, all because she was so dense.

Tezuka affectionately kissed her head.

"I love you." He whispered as he let his mouth to touch her ear. Reina nodded and let her head turn so that they'd be face to face again.

"I love you, too." She grinned letting their strong gazes mix in the small area between them for a while. Then, she smiled and gave him a short peck. She slowly wrapped her arms around him tighter, returned her head on his chest, and let herself indulge once more in the sound of his heartbeat.

The most wonderful type of music humans were capable of creating...

And how ironic that they didn't even have to try.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF Ryoma x Re- CHAPTER XXI**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XXII:  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**shadowhawk - **Wahaha. I'm glad you were excited and I so hope I did not disappoint. =.= hehe. I'm happy to hear any of type of opinion though~ XD Thank you for the comment!

**Blueberryxn - **Thanks for the review~ I'm glad you thought so! hehe. I hope its the same with this one, of course, but you can be honest with me. hehe

**animelover4ever69- **Loool. I actually know what that meant and NO! hahah. I'm not ready yet. HAHAHA. Thanks for the review!

**fictionlover27713- **Tehee. Thank you for the comment~! And yeah I get why you're anxious. lol. I'm not sure if this chap was tolerable or not. XD

**MintLeafeon- **haha, yeah poor Fuji. XD A little warning that he'd have moments with her even when she's already dating with Tezuka. Tehheehe. And thank you for the comment~!

**KiTten18sMile- **hehhe. Thank you for the comment! I'm glad you like the pillar pair, too! Hehhe. You know, somewhat. lol. And about the boy sleeping on the tree... you're forgetting someone from Hyotei. XDD

**SleepyPuppy- **Thank you for the comment~! Hope you liked it... :D

**ChordOverstreetFan -**Yeiy, you reread it~ hehe. I couldn't help but just butt him in here and there. XD Thanks for the comment~

**jury28- **Thanks for reading~! And D'aw... yeah you can have him for now. XDD Seiyou academy was one of the very first fics I've read you know. hahaha. It was awesome! Thank you for the review, by the way~ And I have to tell you we're not even half-way through the story. lololol

**etsuki-chan4 - **Oh gosh, when I was writing this I was like 'oh crap this is so _cheesy_!' I changed a few things since then... but I dunno... haha. How'd I do? XD Thanks for the comment~!

**Big Sis of 8- **I'm very happy! Hehe. It had been almost a month since then, but I can wait. :D Thanks for the review~!

**fufukun - **Yeah, me too. XD To some degree, anyway. haha. Thanks for the comment~

**Kitsunenaru - **(Ch1)Thanks for the comment! Now I can only hope you got this far. hahaah

**Hopelesslyhope- **(Ch3) Yep! hehe. Thanks for the review~

**Darkwolf991- **Thank you for readingXD. Yeah, I try to avoid epic hope-kill Author notes. And so sorry this took so long! hahaha

**Nekoikoi- **Here it is! Thanks for the review and I hoped you liked this

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for reading!<strong>

**But before you go anywhere, please pause and write below. ^^  
><strong>


	22. Nag

**I would appreciate everyone looking into my other PoT stories! Feedbacks on them would be sooo lovely as well. ^^  
>Warning: <strong>The Yukimura/Atobe thing _will_ not be tackled for a while. Please don't expect a lot of appearances from them now.

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXII: Recurring Feelings<br>**

ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD

Sunrise had barely passed, but our heroine was already wide awake.

Reina just stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking of the confessions the previous night and her face flushed in an embarrassing shade of red. It seemed like she woke up early because she was so eager to see _him_ again.

She sighed in self-pity, and lazily stood up rather sure that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep for a while. She stretched to render herself fully awake and then walked to the window to see just how much of an early bird she had become.

She stared at the clouds for a while before absent-mindedly shifting her gaze downward to the shrine's direction. She had a full view of the temple shrine from her room,and she was surprised at an unusual event happening by it. In her months of stay, Reina had _never_ seen anyone actually pray on it… not until _now_, anyway.

She stared incredulously at the long-haired girl who was really kneeling down. There were so few people who actually pray on shrines nowadays, and this shrine was no exception. It was said that the god of nature resided there. But at this era, nobody really did that anymore.

Reina unconsciously narrowed her eyes and she winced at what she _thought_ she saw.

The fact that someone was actually using the shrine as a shrine was, in itself, already surprising. But to actually see just _who_ it was-

She didn't even need to think. She ran down to see this person immediately.

**...**

Kuroro Hona dusted her skirt after praying to her favorite god- just like she did everyday. It was the start of the daily routine that was always followed by... watching her _beloved_ jog . He did not know she watched him, but she would rather not call it stalking. She smiled and stood up, but then she heard urgent footsteps. She turned to its source.

Who would've thought that such a familiar figure would come out of a _temple_?

And she definitely did not expect for the figure to look like an actual girl.

No, scratch that. She _was_ a girl.

"Kuroro-san…" The mysterious boy/girl muttered. She didn't say anything, but instead continued her incessant shivering as she stood. He/she sighed as he/she went closer, Kuroro instinctively stepped back.

"Y-You're a girl…!" She stuttered not being able to hide the fear and insecurity that went through her. The girl's eyes widened for a moment and looked down to see what she was wearing. The girl muttered a curse and then looked at her.

"I trust that you won't tell anyone, Kuroro-san." She didn't say anything.

"Why are you so scared? I know you don't really like me that way, so we both know you're not a lesbian…" She paused. " There is no need to be scared." Echizen asked with a hint of concern obvious in her voice.

She just continued to stare at the beautiful girl in front of her. She was perfect in every way, and _she _was around _her_ beloved _everyday_…

"Kuroro-san?" Reina called her again, but this time she gently touched her shivering arm in an attempt to calm her down. She flinched.

"I-I-I-" She muttered but then gulped to compose herself.

"H-How could you lie t-to the r-regulars?" She accused. Reina just stared at her before replying.

"They all know." Kuroro froze.

"Kuroro-san…?" Reina asked, getting more and more concerned for her odd schoolmate.

"Even Kaoru?" She mumbled out loud, her eyes widing upon the realization that the other heard what she just said.

Reina narrowed her eyes. '_Kaoru?' She mused. 'Isn't that Kaidoh-senpai's first name?'_ She then looked at her furiously blushing senpai trying to guess what was happening. It didn't take long and Reina winced immediately at a sudden hypothesis.

After the things she went through it didn't take her long to find out what was happening. "Oh…" She silently muttered with a rather blank mind, "You like Kaidoh-senpai."

The other girl froze.

Reina's eyes widened as well at her insensitivity, but it was too late. She wanted to hit herself- she really did.

But the older girl was already running away in embarrassment.

**...**

Tezuka Kunimitsu only got an hour of sleep. The events the previous night just replayed in his head over and over again. He recalled her blushing face… her affectionate smile… her _scent_. She wanted to take her into his arms again, the clearest indication that she was, indeed, his.

It was like every inch of his body was longing for her. He could even _feel_ her even when she wasn't even there. He even knew whenever she was nearby. He smiled as he stared at the ceiling. He was especially thankful for that last one. He didn't know how he would've taken it if he didn't get her on time.

He shivered at the thought.

It wasn't even 2 months since he met her and it felt like he could no longer live without her.

'_No wonder Romeo and Juliet to-'_he stopped himself from thinking such thoughts. It was too morbid, especially coming from him.

He sat up and looked at his phone. Reina just got hers and they already exchanged contacts, attached was a photo of them taken just before going home. Neither of them actually liked pictures, especially portraits, so they decided to just have their pictures taken together.

He made a few clicks and stared at her number. She should still be sleeping, he knew, so he was not actually planning on clicking the 'call' button. Just looking at her contact number in his phone was good enough. But then just as he placed it back to the side table it rang- rather abruptly, too- making him flinch.

There weren't a lot of people who knew his number, let alone someone brave enough to call him this time in the morning. But when he saw the caller ID, his incredulity quickly turned to amusement.

He put the phone in his ear and spoke, sounding as cool as he usually was. "Hello? Reina? What's wrong…?"

"Mitsu…?" She gulped, suddenly making him worry.

"I need your help…"

**...**

Tezuka quickly got ready and wore a sweater. As he walked on the streets, he honestly didn't know what to feel. Or rather... who to _punch_.

_-Flashback-_

"_What happened?" He asked anxiously. _

"_I'm lost…" She muttered. He blinked at the statement._

"_Pardon…?"_

"_I got lost…"_

"_How?"_

"_We were following Kaidoh-senpai, and then they disappeared… and here I am…" she mumbled with her voice getting weaker and weaker with every sentence._

"_What?"_

_-End of Flashback-_

He sighed. There must be a good reason for her following Kaidoh. And who was she with anyway? At this time? When she should be _sleeping_?

Thankfully, even with her sense of direction, she was good at describing landmarks so it wasn't hard to deduce where she was.

His heart climbed up to his throat when he got a glimpse of her. He smiled internally. Well it transformed into an odd frown when he saw what she was wearing.

She was still in her _nightdress_. It was colored beige that complemented her eyes nicely. It was sleeveless and a bit fitted, he noted but, thankfully, it extended several inches below the knee. He liked the sight, he couldn't deny that, but he frowned irritably at her anyway.

"What?" She asked in obliviousness.

"Why are you still wearing your pajamas?" He asked harshly. _'What if other men see? Does she not know how dangerous the world is? She had her share of stalkers… so why couldn't she be more careful?'_

Reina blinked. "Okay, okaaay. I'm sorry for waking you up. It's just that my genius family forgot to input their number." She stated, misunderstanding the anger.

He sighed as he composed himself. "You didn't wake me up. I'm mad about the fact that you're careless enough to go out in your rather… revealing night clothes."

She flushed at the realization and instinctively covered herself. Tezuka's annoyance was carried by the wind and he smiled lightly at the picture. Now that he thought about it, it really felt he hadn't seen her for a _week_. And one never scolds one's girlfriend when one hadn't seen her for such a long time.

He carefully took his sweater off and put it on her back both to cover her up… and to use it as a mechanism to pull her closer.

"Mitsu?" She voiced startled at the action as much as _he _was, albeit he didn't show it. He was actually mentally scolding his body for moving on its own again. But now that she was so close to him again, there was no going back. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Mitsu!" Reina yelled, embarrassed, touching her warm forehead. She didn't exactly dislike it - it was the opposite- but it was just that she imagined their relationship to have minimum physical contact. She _was_ still shy about this, after all.

He nervously chuckled with his wonderfully low laugh. "Gomen, Reina. My body's moving on its own."

"We better start meditating, then." She suggested, half-jokingly, and Tezuka chuckled_. _He really did need to get his mind control his body completely again… albeit for reasons that was still beyond Reina's comprehension, but regardless- he would definitely do a lot more meditating than usual.

And then looking around, he suddenly remembered why he was called there in the first place.

"So… what are you doing here this time in the morning?" he asked, purposely omitting the question about Kaidoh. He knew he'd sound harsh if he did. And to his delightful surprise- Reina laughed.

"You won't _believe_ what happened."

* * *

><p><span>SCHOOL COURTS, Morning Practice<span>

The same faces as always were playing and hanging around the courts that day... well, in addition to two kids. Oishi and Reina decided to teach the two boys how to play the sport so that they would have something to do outside the tutor room. They were starting out like the freshmen for a week or so and they decided to teach them personally with the remaining months.

Oishi's student, Michael Lee, was a bit taller than Ludwig and looked Chinese. Reina couldn't see much in the boy's eyes… it was mostly…empty. She continued to observe the boy and found out that he wasn't like Oishi in anyway that she knew, making her curious. She wondered what Kuroro's student looked like. She smiled internally at the fast sight of the girl's object of interest.

Then her gaze moved to her protégé. Since the day with Yukimura and Atobe, the boy softened considerably. She thought that maybe their interactions were a little part of it... and she did not know if Yukimura told him something before they all parted.

She passively looked at the boy's surroundings. It seemed as if it became a habit now.

Many people stared at the boy's inhumanly gorgeous face; he looked more annoyed than ever. In that way, they were alike… but the similarity stopped there. Reina just knew was that the boy would be harder to deal with than the old Seichi, because Seichi actually _talked _and _he_ didn't _exactly_ have a tragic childhood.

Slowly she started to gain confidence in her theory. The fact that he immediately flinched whenever someone touched him, and the way he shivered after…

She looked at the boy with sad eyes. Reina did not know all the particulars, but she did guess the boy's past correctly save for the details she was much too young to understand. She was dead right with her conclusion though:

The boy was the manifestation of why beauty was considered a curse in the first place.

**...**

The group continued to train and Reina as taught Ludwig his swings she noticed that there were a few senpais gaping at her student (and her, though she didn't know). She was quick to glare them off. The boy blinked at the gesture, and bowed his head in embarrassment.

He did not say anything beyond that, and neither did she. She raised her hand and placed it on his head. She gently patted it, hoping he would not run away. This was her first attempt in actually making physical contact with the boy, and she could only pray that it wouldn't end up tragically.

Moments passed by and the boy did not flinch. In fact, he practically welcomed her touch.

She smiled in relief, and everyone stopped whatever they were doing.

_Silence_

And a certain invisible vein was popped.

"EVERYONE 50 LAPS AROUND THE COURTS _NOW_!" Tezuka shouted firmly, hiding the annoyance in his voice well.

"H_AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_?" Everyone, even Ryoma, shouted.

What the hell did they do _this_ time?

**...**

"Saa… you sure are being possessive Tezuka." Fuji muttered as he stood beside him.

"Fuji, 70 laps." He replied sternly. Fuji sighed, and turned to join the run.

He thought he could do it- but he was wrong. He could not put on his teasing face in front of him, after all.

Tezuka watched the tensai's back as he left, making sure he did not go back and continue being disturbing. He massaged his forehead. It was harder to keep his stoic face, now that he occasionally got glances of the object of his affection… and especially now that he longer tried to deny his feelings for her. But he managed to do so, to some degree, anyway.

No one knew his and Reina's relationship. They decided to keep it that way since there were too many prying people in the school, especially on the team, that would put unwanted stress on their relationship.

But now... he was starting to question that. He seriously wanted to claim her right in front of everyone. It was very tempting, especially when so many men look _that _way… and most of them didn't even _know_ she's a girl. He didn't want to imagine how many male admirers she would get once her true gender goes public.

He sighed as he wondered how to handle all these additional anxieties when he saw Fuji moving closer and closer to Reina. His eye twitched but stopped himself from reacting further. A second later, he mentally berated himself. Fuji was not so low as to try and steal her like that. He was probably just doing things on whim. Mostly to annoy him.

And so Tezuka could only watch Reina run her laps in silence.

**...**

_Gulp_

Reina wanted to turn. Reina wanted to turn so badly-

Was he staring at her? He was, wasn't he? She blushed, and she really was about to look back when-

"Congratulations, Echizen-chan." Fuji whispered really close to her ears. She flinched in shock.

"What?"

"You. Him. G*ing out."

"Y-You knew?" She responded, incredulous- but mentally berated herself for admitting it so easily. Despite the internal war she just had, she definitely looked stoic as usual. So, it could be that she confirmed his suspicions. If that was so, then she fell right on his trap.

Darned that Fuji.

"Hai. It's pretty obvious, you know… the way you steal glances of him…" Reina blushed immediately at the statement. She only did that _once_ before this attempt and that was because he was not too far from her direct line of sight. Even _she_ couldn't resist certain temptations.

"F-Fuji-senpai…" she weakly muttered trying her best to tame her flush. Fuji shook away the feeling of envy, and just smiled at how cute she was.

"I won't tell. Not before you do, anyway." He replied reassuringly getting her to smile lightly at his genuinely concerned face.

"Thank you."

He could only grin- doing his best to stop feeling so pitiful.

"Of course."

**...**

TUTOR ROOM, later

There were 5 people in the room then. But only the two younger ones were actually interacting.

"G-Gomen, Ryoma-san. He went by so quickly that I instinctively went to follow him… I didn't know you got separated from us…" Kuroro muttered. She told Reina _everything_. When she ran away from her in the temple, she followed her determinedly. It was so... disconcerting how easily she blurted out her feelings when she caught up and looked oh-so-seriously at her. They really were friends now.

Ryoma smiled. "It's fine. Everything turned out pretty well, anyway. In any case…" She paused looking at Hona's student.

The girl was a cute brunette with hair cut very shortly. Her name was Kumi, without a family name. "Oishi and I were teaching the kids tennis, mind letting your kid join us?"

The older girl stared at her, before she shifted her eyes towards the children. She smiled, it would definitely be a good experience for the girl.

"Thank you."

But to her surprise, Ryoma smirked. "That also means that you'll be hanging out with us more often, Hona-san~"

**_Doki_**

Hona turned pure crimson. A very flowery image just passed her uttered very incoherent words for several minutes that came after.

"A-a-a—Ry-o-maaaaa."

Ryoma laughed heartily at the reaction, making everyone in the room stare at her. "You know, if you don't make a move, he'll never remember you." She stated after composing herself, recalling her story.

Who would have thought Kaidoh and Hona were childhood friends. It was just that she had to move away for several years, during which her father left them. Her mother decided to change their last names to her maiden name, and so Hona's family name had to be changed as well. But Hona having 4 more siblings, had to help greatly with the chores and had to carry more responsibilities than before. As the years went by, not only her name changed- her appearance did, too.

She went from 'plain to ugly', she said. But Ryoma confidently said she was imagining it.

Kuroro smiled at the statement, but she knew better… albeit she didn't exactly go on a debate with her friend, knowing how stubborn she could get.

"Your next class is going to start, Hona." Ryoma stated pulling her out of her daze. She mechanically looked at the clock and flinched. But just before she could completely get out the door, Ryoma had one more surprise on her sleeve. Who could have thought Echizen Ryoma could be so (adorably) nosy?

"We're eating lunch at the rooftop." the petite girl smiled.

"And you better be there."

* * *

><p>A few hours passed and it was finally lunch time. The rooftop- as most of the school were aware of- was occupied by the main people in the tennis team. And as usual, the red-headed human cat was the noisiest of them all.<p>

"Ehhh~ Nice to meet you Kuroro-san, Kumi-san." Eiji said, shaking the two newcomer's hands energetically making them blush."Can I call you Ho-chii and Ku-chwan?"

"No." they answered simultaneously, making Eiji sad. Oishi chuckled and patted his back, but blunty telling him to 'deal with it' anyway. Eiji held Hona's hand and asked her why she refused to be called by such an adorable name, and Ryoma smirked at the fact that Hona (despite feeling shy) actually looked comfortable. She turned to Kaidoh.

He was frowning deeply, more than usual, and he was glaring at the... hands in contact.

She blinked. Wait a minute-

'_He _knew_…?'_

She let out a deep breath and willed herself not to jump to conclusions. There was no need to rush these things, anyway... and those two were especially shy.

So she just shrugged and continued eating her lunch.

**...**

Time passed and that certain lunch proved to be as lively as always. She somehow managed to push the curiosity on Hona and Kaidoh's case aside and decided to inconspicuously observe, instead. Interrogations were not yet needed.

First, she watched Sakuno's uncharacteristic intrepid attempts to be sweet on a furiously blushing Oishi. She made bento for him, and occasionally gestured to feed him.

Of course, it was_ funny_. Those two are _the_ shyest people that she knew.

Then, she went to observe the kids, as well as Kuroro and Kaidoh, with interest. It was really a good idea to get the children to hang out with these people. They were definitely happy with them, even when the 2 boys weren't showing hints of it.

As for her two senpais... she caught them stealing glimpses of each other, although during times when the other was looking away. She wondered how long Kaidoh knew… or rather, suspected… since he looked unsure. Ryoma knew that it was probably because Hona _did_ have a different name and appearance now.

She smiled internally. Maybe Kaidoh just _knew_ Hona was the Hona in his childhood…

…just like Tezuka knew _she_ never _had_ a twin.

* * *

><p><span>ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD<span>

That night, inside the temple, there was not a single decibel of noise floating in the air. No one was speaking, and they were barely moving. The temple's inhabitants focused all of their energy into their ears. The reason was Reina was practicing with her violin that night- she rarely was no genius, but years of practice definitely made her good.

The piece she was playing was one of her compositions entitled 'Wind'. Anyone who knew what it symbolized would immediately be able to know why it was entitled that way.

Everyone held each and every soft yet paradoxically strong notes, and Ludwig was not an exception. He immediately was even recalling what Yukimura told him the moment they were alone.

_-Flashback-_

"_Ludwig-kun." Yukimura called for the boy who was the last to go out. "Let me give you an advice..."_

_He didn't say anything. Yukimura just smiled calmly._

"_Don't deny her company, Ludwig. She's good for you." _

_"..."_

_"I'm not asking you to open up immediately, I know it's hard. All I'm asking is to let her naturally get close to you." _

_He frowned."What's in it for me?" _

_Yukimura kept his serene expression. _

"_If you do, you will find out why the past doesn't matter as much as you think it does."_

_-End of Flashback-  
><em>

'Wind' was a metaphor for 'Friend'. Just like the wind, it was fundamentally caused by two things- the temporality and movement of the world, as well as the essential difference of people. It was soothing yet harsh. But when it was harsh, it was usually because it wanted to destroy anything weak inside and make one stronger.

The oxygen in the earth's winds was like their hearts, a factor that kept us living.

Reina composed it for Seichi, and _with_ Seichi, all those years ago- as soon as she learned how to play. Music was one of the things he liked, and friendship (particularly with her) was one of the things he despised. She recalled that his hostility towards her diminished with time,

And she smiled.

* * *

><p>Inside a hospital room a few kilometers away, Yukimura Seichi imagined himself playing the piano. Too bad they wouldn't allow one inside. And even when he could no longer play for long or as nicely as he used to- he wanted to do so badly, for a reason he was not quite sure of.<p>

"You look like an idiot, smiley." Atobe muttered, waking up- feeling the back pain from sleeping with his head on his bed. _  
><em>

"I woke you up?" he smiled in amusement. It would have been fun if he woke up from the inaudible sound of his invisible piano.

"I can't believe I stayed here until this time of night." Atobe said tiredly, like a normal boy. He chuckled.

"The nurse was afraid of your family, so she made an exception with the visitor's limits."

"Hm."

"So... why are you here on a school day, again?" The bluenette asked, and Atobe flinched trying to think of a lie. Nothing came.

"Ore-sama need not answer that." Atobe answered almost immediately that it was suspicious. He didn't really get it either- that bad feeling nagging him since the previous night. His pride wouldn't allow him to go see Reina, so he went to bug Seichi instead.

Yukimura only sighed, and entered a daze- momentarily forgetting about 'ore-sama's' amazing existence.

"I want to see Reina..."

Atobe scoffed. "You always want to see Reina."

And Yukimura could only chuckle. It was true, anyway.

And it would be amusing if Atobe would admit it, too.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXII**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XXXIII: The Greed for Data**

* * *

><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**Big Sis of 8- **Good thing you didn't, then! lolz. Thanks for the comment! XD

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**MintLeafeon-** *claps* hahaha. Whew! Yeah, way to go Tezuka! hehe. Thanks for the comment!**  
><strong>

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><strong>

**animelover4ever69- **Whew! I'm glad, and thank you for the comment. :D

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**fictionlover27713-** Here it is! I hoped you liked it. XD And thank you for the review~! haha**  
><strong>

**Shadowhawk-** *giggles* Really I made you remember that? Awesome. XD Hehe. The Atobe-Yukimura thing won't happen any time soon, though. hehe. And thank you for the review!**  
><strong>

**etsuki-chan4- ***wipes sweat* That's a relief! haha. Thanks for the review~

**jury28- **Yeah, I'm just approximating but I'm pretty sure this story will be very long. Yeah, I think she'd be wrapping up the story now. And thanks for the review~

**mai-chan265- **Concubine is a... er... can be seen as a 'male mistress' lolz. And no, so long as readers comment I'm happy. Anyone would like long reviews but of course, but most writers are glad that readers takes time to write _something_. XD Thx for the review, btw!

**kimiko nayla- **lolz. FINALLY! XDD Did I take too long...? lolz. Thanks for the comment!

**Annanimeaddict-** Thanks for the review! Hope you liked this chap! :D

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

Please let me know what you thought!


	23. Greed for Data

Yow! Check out my other POT fics, fanarts, and a nice facebook page (Prince of Tennis fanfiction, especially the one with the blue logo.) XD Please and Thank you~ **And special thanks to those who reviewed, faved, and C2d me! You guyes make all this work that much more worth it!  
><strong>

**Warning: Focus is on other pairings. There is still Pillar pair moments but don't expect too much.  
><strong>

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXIII: The Greed for data<strong>

ECHIZEN RESIDENCE

It was a random Sunday morning, and Reina was already inside the living room. It was Reina's turn to do the club errands, after all, so she couldn't sleep all the way til' noon. But she looked at the clock and saw that she was a tad early... so she decided to watch television as she waited for Momo, who was to accompany her with the shopping.

She smiled at the thought, it _had_ been a while since they last spent time outside the school grounds. He might be an idiot, but he was a lovable idiot.

_-Flashback-_

"_Ne, Senpai. You don't need to be my chaperone any more." She said apathetically at Momo on their way home._

_He blinked. "How come? You got your SOD fixed?" He asked visibly skeptical of the fact. Reina frowned._

"_What if I did?" She said while closing her eyes. Tezuka promised to walk her to and from to school now that they were dating. And now that they actually didn't have to have an excuse to ask for each other's companies, they were going to make use of it to the fullest. They mutually decided to spending as much time together whenever it wasn't troublesome for anyone.  
><em>

_Although... Tezuka had to finish some of the workload during Saturday mornings, which was fine since she had to visit the hospital during those times, hang out in either of their houses (although she felt a little too welcome in that house, courtesy of Ayana) or the public tennis courts after lunch. In fact, they never dated in any other places. _

_Who knew who they would run into, after all... _

"_Really?" Momo's eyebrow raised at her statement, which for a moment she thought was her ponderings about her dates. "I'm not going to treat you everyday, you know." He said warily._

_She smirked. "I know. You have a girlfriend now, after all."_

_Momoshiro's face steamed. "H-How'd Y-y-yo—"_

"_I have my sources." She said in a way Momoshiro would think she's omnipresent. He sighed. "You're scary." _

_She smirked. "Domo"_

_-End of Flashback-_

As she watched poor baby turtles experience the harshness of life, 5 minutes after they were born on the National Geographic Channel, she heard people playing on the courts.

It was Momo and Ryoga. They were playing again and Reina decided to leave them be. Momo wasn't going to last that long, anyway. Well, at least he lasted 5 minutes this time.

"Not bad, kid." Ryoga complimented, getting Momo to grin.

"Haven't seen you in a while. It must be nice to be free of being kiddo's chaperone. Good thing she finally got a-"

**_BAM!_**

Momo blinked. His idol disappeared into thin air.

He looked down.

_Whoops._ There he was, lying lifelessly on the dirt with a cooking pan right beside him. He was going to approach him, to check if he was alive but was then pulled away by his kohai.

"Let's go now, senpai." Ryoma stated irritably but with red cheeks. Momo to scratch his head in confusion.

'_What has gotten into _her_?'_

**...**

*2 hours later*

"Oh man. Why do I have to be such a gentleman?" Momoshiro mumbled as he lifted most of the items.

"No one asked you to carry 90% of the baggage, you know. No one knows I'm a girl." She answered stoically.

"How rude! I am not doing this to _look_ like a gentleman. I _am_ one." He vehemently declared. She grinned at a thought.

"Did Ann-_chan_ tell you that?"

Momoshiro stopped his track, abruptly turning red.

"_Ah _children nowadays_~"_ She said, mimicking one of Momo's trademark phrases. He flushed even more, probably remembering a date or something. She then looked at the other side of the street in an attempt to make fun of him again.

"Ara? Ann-chan?" She said not taking her eyes off to wherever she was looking at. Momoshiro quickly turned his head in anticipation.

"Ah, my mistake." She added making Momo glower at her in both embarrassment and irritation. She chuckled out loud. He sneered.

"Seriously… You should stop teasing me…"

"Yadda." Came her swift reply. Momo was going to respond with something lame when someone swiftly ran past through them.

"**_THIEF!_**" A woman's voice shouted in panic as she pointed at the man who ran past them. And Momo, being the gentleman that he was, went to follow the evil-doer in roller skates.

The guy was fast, and not only because he was in skates, so Momo decided to 'borrow' a random bike from a bystander. The owner of the said bike yelled angrily and ran after them like a bullet, leaving his stoic-faced companion behind.

Reina blinked at the recognition of his face. "Aa-"

"Aa." He muttered back. "Echizen-san. What are you doing here? Or rather, why is your teammate going around stealing other people's bikes? Doesn't he know that that's illegal? He should really be on the Juvenile courts now. But that would be a bummer on your team, now would it? Although now that I think about it I never actually saw him play ye-"

He stopped as he realized that he was monologue-ing again. He saw that the boy was slowly picking up the groceries his teammate dropped. He sighed, and then decided to go help the boy. Ryoma blinked at the attempt.

"I can handle this by myself, you know." Ryoma muttered as they walked to the tennis shop. She was going to buy herself a grip tape, and it seemed that Shinji was going to buy something there as well.

And apparently, he was after the same grip tape.

What was worse? There was only one stock left.

"I got to it first you know." She muttered again. Shinji frowned.

"No you did not. Besides, shouldn't you be giving it to me since I helped you with your groceries? What a rude and ungrateful kid you are."

"I didn't ask for your help. And shouldn't you be ashamed of yourself? Selfishly deciding to help someone and actually expecting to get something in return." His eyes twitched.

"Brat." He uttered gripping the tape tighter and pulling it towards him.

"Jerk." She shot back, pulling it back with the same force.

'_EEK!'_ The clerk squeaked as he saw the electric sparks emitting from the two.

'_I hope they won't start a fire! I don't have insurance!'_

**...**

Inui, too, was going to buy a grip tape. But apparently, it was out of stock… seeing that two people were already fighting over the last one, he decided to just reserve one for the next delivery. No use stressing over it, he needed his full concentration after all…so that he could record every detail on whatever happened between the two.

_Clink_

"Hoi, Hoi~!" A noisy human cat with a moon-headed boy barged in, pushing the door inwardly, and startling everyone. The two ignored him and immediately returned to whatever they were doing as soon as they caught themselves.

Eiji looked around excitedly at the people inside the shop. His eyes stayed on two persons in particular.

Oishi, on the other hand, looked worried as always. "What's with those two?" He anxiously asked Inui who was writing on his green notebook entitled, 'Echizen Ryoma Vol. 3'.

"They're fighting over a grip tape." He muttered without stopping his hands. Oishi blinked and Eiji grinned as he walked towards the two.

Eiji and Inui seem to be amused with this, but Oishi was not. He decided to call Tezuka for advice, seeing this was not something he could stop without using brute force. He dialed anxiously and the captain answered. But his teammate didn't say much after he told him, which he later realized was pretty vague. He just told the captain that Echizen was arguing with a guy from Fudomine, he couldn't say anything further since he uncharacteristically hung up on him.

But then about a second later, Ryoma's phone rang out-of-nowhere.

Reina's eyes twitched. That was the ringtone she assigned specifically for Tezuka.

"You better answer that." Shinji smirked. She frowned. But the phone kept ringing. Why was he calling all of a sudden? With so many of their teammates around, too.

"If you're not going to answer that, I will. Nya~" Eiji declared making Ryoma instinctively let go of the tape and protect the phone. She put one of her hands on Eiji's face to keep him away from the phone while the other answered it.

"Yes…?" She answered careful not to mention the caller's name. He asked her if what Oishi told him was true.

"Well… not anymore…" She mumbled, looking at the tape that was now on her opponent's hands. She wondered why he'd call when he knew their teammates were there, but shrugged it off. She returned to her stoic facade when she realized her expression actually softened when she heard his voice.

"I'll just buy you a new one."

She blinked. "No way Mit—you! I'll buy my own grip tapes, thank you very much." She said, a bit offended.

Shinji frowned at the scene. He felt annoyed for reasons he wasn't sure of, and decided to annoy the little boy as he was annoying _him_.

"Ei, brat. I'll let you have the tape if you win against me in a match."

She turned to him immediately. "Did you hear that?" She asked the person on the other line.

Ryoma waited until the second of pondering silence passed and she heard a defeated sigh. "Very well…" he paused. "Just don't show too many of your moves. And don't let your guard down."

She smirked. "Hai, Hai."

"I'll win this." she said confidently and Shinji wanted to scoff.

Inui Sadaharu on the other side of the room, though, saw everything with an analytical eye.

His glasses shimmered like a lighthouse in the middle of nowhere. He couldn't hide his grin at what he just found out. And after their captain's uncharacteristically thoughtless mistake, too.

"Ii. Data."

**...**

RANDOM ROAD NEAR THE PARK

But several minutes later, they realized that Shinji and Ryoma weren't able to play a match, after all. Something… or rather, someone unexpected came out of nowhere on their way to the courts with his _third_ attempt on stealing. They decided that the winner would be decided by whoever took the thief down by tennis.

Unfortunately... they hit him at the same time. So Shinji just decided to share his grip tape since it was good for two, anyway.

"Domo." She said, the always-mumbling boy just nodded. He was about to start monologouing about how thankful she should be when-

"AHHHHHHHHH! Help me! HELP ME! _HELPF_-" A loud, loud scream of pain was suddenly heard. They looked around, it was the thief… getting beat up by Kaidoh.

No one really knew what Kaidoh had against the guy, so they just assumed that he's got the hero's blood (much to Momo's disapproval). They waited for Kaidoh to be satisfied and went with him to the station. They did not regret coming there at all. It was a rather amusing sight to see Kaidoh blush from being complimented by a officer.

"Pfft- It seems like we have a policeman in Seigaku now—pfft-HAHAHHAHHAA!" Momo whispered at first, but wasn't able to stifle his laughter. Kaidoh's eye twitched, he heard what his rival said.

"Then I'll be glad to put you to prison, you future drug-dealer!" He said. Momo flinched at the statement and started another yelling battle with his rival…

…Inside a police station…

*Moments later*

"_Fsssssshhhhh_. Thanks to you, you stupid idiot, my reputation is ruined!" Kaidoh said irritably as he walked and glared at Momo. They got kicked out, obviously. But no one was in a hurry to go home, so they really just hung out not too far from the station as they chat…and brawl.

"What did you just say _Mamushi_?" Momo growled, having nothing else to say. Kaidoh sneered to ridicule his rival's lack of counter-attacks. Momo turned red in anger.

"Ara? Ann-chan? What's wrong?" Ryoma asked feigning worry. Ann blinked at her, not knowing what Ryoma was talking about. She was perfectly fine.

But Momo, not knowing this, abruptly turned around to see what happened to his girlfriend only to see everyone, save for Ryoma, Kaidoh and the two from Fudomine, looking at him with creepily sly expressions.

"I see. So Momo and Tachibana's sister are dating." Inui muttered as he scribbled in his notebook. The two blushed.

"How sweet…" Oishi smiled emphatically at him, while Eiji's sly and teasing smile turned to a confused one.

"Ann-chan? What are you doing here?" He asked, just noticing the girl. Ryoma sighed before heading to the vending machine.

"Momo and Kamio-kun saved me from two brutes from the tennis courts earlier, before we met you guys. They decided to take me along with them, so here I am." She replied casually. Eiji grinned at the two. "Ehhhh~ a love triangle?" he teased and the three blush instantaneously.

"Ii. Data."Inui adjusted his glasses and Oishi sweat-dropped. Ryoma arrived and got curious at what she heard from afar.

"What kind of brutes?" Ryoma asked as she absentmindedly opened a can of Ponta. She did not foresee that she'd regret it.

"Well, they're not really _brutes_. Just big arrogant jerks." Ann declared, and Momo nodded and then gritted his teeth. "The 'Alpha' has an incredible ego! I mean – _grrrrrrr. _They beat everyone on the street courts and decided to go make Ann date them! GRrrrrrrrrr…"

"Really?" Oishi asked mostly curious than worried, Ryoma just stared at them to continue. She was having a blissful moment with her Ponta that time.

"Yeah. I only recognized them when they were walking away, though." Ann stated making Momo and Kamio gape at her. "You _knew_ him?"

"Yeah. They're famous, you know. Their school is the number one seed in Tokyo."

Oishi blinked. "Hyotei Gakuen?" he asked, Ann nodded while Ryoma tilted her head. _'Where'd I hear that before?'_

"One of those guys was their captain, Atobe Keigo."

_Toink_

A can full of Ponta was now on the asphalt floor.

"*Cough* *Cough* Darni-*Cough*" Ryoma garbled a word staring at her wasted Ponta. She breathed the wrong moment due to Ann's surprise.

"Oh dear… Ryoma seems to have gotten Ponta on her lungs." Oishi worriedly commented as he kneaded her back in an attempt to placate the cough.

"W-What happened?" Ann asked, confused.

"Maybe she was surprised by what you said…?" Shinji commented, staring at Ryoma with an unfathomable expression.

Everyone just stared at her as she caught her composure. She sighed and looked around for the vending machine she was just at and it made everyone flinch.

"Oi! Echizen, what happened?" Momo shifted the topic back. She stared at him as if he said something stupid.

"What?"

"Did something I say surprise you?" Ann anxiously questioned. Ryoma momentarily closed her eyes and shook her head. She continued looking around as she answered their questions.

"Then what happened?" Oishi asks nervously since Ryoma wouldn't really make that kind of mistake.

"Nothing." She lied again, but this time with a tone that she didn't want to talk about it. No one pursued the issue anymore. And Ryoma looked down and stared at the pavement with twitching eyes.

Like _hell_ she was going to admit she knew that- that _idiot_.

Well... not at least until she made him see hell, first.

**...**

They watched Kaidoh and Momo argue for a while before deciding to start walking home. But before they lost sight of the police station, Ryoma looked back at it by instinct and blinked at what she was witnessing.

She saw Kuroro looking dejected as she went out of the police station… with the thief. She abruptly stopped her movement getting everyone to do the same. Kaidoh's eyes widened before joining Ryoma in her dazed world, Eiji scratched his head at the scene, while everyone else just looked at each other in confusion since they couldn't see what made the three like that.

But then, to their surprise, Kaidoh got out of his trance by himself and ran back to the police station. They blinked when Eiji and Ryoma did the same.

"What the-" Momo and Kamio uttered simultaneously.

"I think we should go see…" Oishi suggested getting everyone's nods of approval.

But when they were close enough to see what's happening, they entered the state Eiji was earlier.

"What are you doing with him? Kuroro-san?" Kaidoh asked, trying to hamper his habitual growl. Kuroro blushed at her love's concern. Ryoma and Eiji just observed them with interest, while the thief refused to take his stare away from the pavement.

"He's my brother, Kaidoh-san. I got the woman's forgiveness. She agreed not to send him to juvenile jail in the condition of him not stealing again."

Kaidoh raised his eyebrow. "I don't remember you having an older brother." He stated, making Kuroro freeze. Kaidoh blinked at her reaction first, but then realized what he just said- He flushed.

"I-I-mean, I-"He stuttered trying to make up and excuse but Kuroro replied with a thoughtful expression.

"How long have you known?" She asked trying to hold back a sob. Kaidoh could not reply. Kuroro frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Kaidoh tilted his head down. "I-I thought that I might just be imagining it." He replied honestly, making Kuroro want to cry.

And she did.

Kaidoh's eye widened in panic as he stuttered and made incoherent gesture as he anxiously thought of something to make her stop. No one could believe what they were seeing.

"Oh my~ I think Kaidoh-kun's in _love_!" Ann stated, amused, as they observed the people from afar.

"HAHAHHA! I don't believe I'm _seeing_ this! Pfftt— HAHAHAHAHA" Momo said, getting Kamio to laugh with him.

"…" Shinji said.

"Ii. Data." Inui muttered happily. He got whole new volumes on so many people today, after all.

What a wonderful, wonderful day for the resident data man.

**...**

Several minutes of chatting, shouting, teasing, and brawling later they finally decided to get a move on. Apparently, the thief was not older than most of them. He was _thirteen_ years old. He just had an unbelievably mature face.

"Speaking of mature faces. I didn't think anyone could beat Buchou." Momo said jokingly earning himself a glare from Ryoma, much to his confusion. Inui just let out a knowing smirk.

"What?" Momo asked indignantly to the small girl who, in turn, just ignored him to shift her gaze towards the siblings. Her and Kuroro's eyes met.

Kuroro Hona saw that there was indeed tension, probably for what he had done. But Kuroro was more disappointed than angry at him, making the boy look even more dejected than before. It seemed that he also remembered Kaidoh, she knew the boy used to admire him as a child. But when his idol _himself_ caught him doing something bad, well, Hona could only imagine how dejected he must have felt, making her annoyance with him diminish a bit.

They walked and walked soon arriving at their destination. "Here we are." She muttered stopping in front of a small townhouse-like structure that should be barely enough for 4 people to live in.

Ryoma watched everyone inconspicuously. Kuroro looked insecure about her house, but no one really minded. They were the ones who volunteered to take her home, after all… with an almost-criminal right behind her.

Well not really, they knew her brother meant no harm. They were just curious what would happen since Kaidoh obviously would want to walk her home, so they decided to 'tag-along', much to Kaidoh's annoyance.

Speaking of Kaidoh, he was trying his best to hide his shock. He had no idea what happened to his childhood friend during the period that she was gone. He regretted not approaching her as soon as he suspected.

They were reluctant to come in when Kuroro invited them for coffee or tea since they didn't know if the house could accommodate all of them. Kuroro sensed this and said that the house was way stronger and a tad bigger than it looked like.

When they went inside they saw that the house was incredibly clean and well-maintained. It was definitely small but it was actually big enough to make her whole family of six be comfortable. Kuroro said that Kumi was staying with Takeda-sensei, who lived not too far away.

Ryoma noted the huge stock of coffee they had in the kitchen. Her eyes twitched at the recollection of several of Kuroro's crazy-girl-mode sessions.

'_No wonder she could be so… hyperactive sometimes.'_ She mused. She was about to continue observe her surroundings when she heard a number of light footsteps approach them.

"Nee-san! Welcome hoooommmmeeee~!

"Who're they? Why is Kato-nii sad?"

"Whoa! An angel!"

"EekkK! Scary…"

Her younger siblings stated, respectively.

"Now, Now. Let's all be behave in front of the guests." She said calmly getting Kaidoh to look away, causing everyone's amused grins to pop up. They were soon ushered to a room good enough to be for guests, Kaidoh stared at the family. They stared at the two youngest. He never saw the youngest one before, while the second to the youngest was just an infant way back then.

"How's mother?" Kuroro whispered to one of her siblings. Only Ryoma and Eiji were able to hear this. They looked at each other with comprehending stares.

"What's wrong?" Oishi asked, worried.

"Something's up with Kuroro-san's mother." Eiji replied in a serious tone of voice. Kaidoh immediately stood up and approached Kuroro. Saying that Kaidoh's surge of concern was surprising was an understatement.

"What happened to your mother?" He asked her bluntly making her flinch, confused as to how he found out. She thought for a moment whether or not she should tell him but his gaze didn't give her much of a choice.

"S-She's sick…"She whispered making sure no one from the guest room would hear. She was mistaken to think that, of course.

Eiji told Oishi what he heard. Oishi stood up and approached the two. No one talked anymore, it was all coming together. The reason why a sweet-tempered boy like Kato would try to steal, and how Hona would look so much more stressed and different from what they were seeing in the pictures.

"I can get my uncle to check her for free, you know, Kuroro-san." He offered gently, making Kaidoh smirk proudly and Kuroro to cry.

_How lucky she was..._

"Thank you…"

* * *

><p>It was nearing dusk that day, and everyone decided to finally take their leave. Three figures walked rather slowly compared to everyone else, and Ann was one of them. The girl then looked up the sky and stretch her arms as if she just woke up.<p>

"What a wonderful family." She said as she walked beside Ryoma on one side and Shinji not too far beside her in the other. Ryoma nodded at the statement while Shinji remained impassive. Ann puffed her cheeks at his lack of reaction, and decided to tease him.

"Ne, Ryoma-kun, can you guess what type of family 'emotionless' Shinji has?" She asked, expecting Ryoma to give a commonsensical answer like he had a strict family (like Tezuka) or something…

Shinji blinked at the question but pretended not to care as Ryoma stared at him for an instant in wonder.

"Considering his concept of space and bluntness, I'd say he has an extremely close family that would accept whatever his members decide and do." She said as a matter-of-factly, making Ann and Shinji gape at her.

"What?" She asked lazily. "I'm wrong?"

Ann shook her head and said she just didn't think anyone could guess so easily. She looked at Shinji who was staring at the pavement with an unfathomable frown. She sighed, feeling guilty that her joke backfired.

'_Oh well…'_

Ann kept quiet since then and she was really trying to figure out why she was still guilty. She was pulled out of her trance when she saw Ryoma was no longer on her side. She was a little ahead of them now, and she was saying something to Momo. Momoshiro, though, suddenly went full red in embarrassment and panic._  
><em>

"NO WAY!" Momo stated when Ryoma said she'd walk home alone. Now that he knew she was a girl and hat it was getting dark, that was definitely out of the question.

"Then who'd walk Ann-chan home?" Ryoma asked bluntly making Momo and Ann blush, while Kamio jeered. Inui's glasses glinted before he offered,

"It's fine Momo. I'd take him home." Momo and Ryoma look at him suspiciously. Inui's expression did not change.

"Don't look at me as if I'm always planning something." The two just nodded in agreement since they only heard the last four words. "I'm just concerned at the welfare of our freshman."

Momo blinked since he knew that his senpai knew that Ryoma was a girl, and was therefore making some sense. He looked at Ryoma to know what her decision was, but she just shrugged.

"Okay, then." Momo stated in delight causing Ann to blush at his unmasked happiness.

"Bye." Ryoma stated initiating the group's separation.

Everyone else either nodded or waved.

* * *

><p>At the far west of Tokyo a little later, Kamio Akira was still frowning. He was still in a foul mood for a few days now. He had been after Ann since they were freshmen and then a new guy came along and took her heart. He really needed to vent it out on someone but when he looked at his companion he was just surprised. Shinji was in a daze.<p>

Yes, Shinji _always_ looked like he was in a daze, but during those times he just wasn't thinking of _anything_. He had always had a blank expression _because_ his thought process was blank. When he thought of something, he just blurted it out.

Which was why he thought he was about to die when he saw that Shinji pulled out of his daze…

…and kissed him.

_Creek Creek Cr-_

It was a short one. Shinji just wanted to try something out. After his experiment he continued walking home making Kamio shout at him in despair.

"H-How could you do that and _then_ act as if nothing happened?" he yelled indignantly. Shinji just stared at him, not knowing what he was talking about. Kamio flinched at this, of course, but knowing his friend didn't mean anything he just decided to brush his mouth vehemently and brain-wash himself when he got home.

Shinji, meanwhile, returned to his daze.

'_What made _him_ any different?'_

* * *

><p><span>SOME STREET TO THE TEMPLE<span>

Echizen Ryoma and Inui Sadaharu were walking in a semi-comfortable silence when Inui broke it.

"Echizen, could you mind lending me your phone? I forgot mine and I needed to tell my mother something urgent since I just remembered what it was." He stated with his usual expression, making it hard to know whether or not he was lying. Ryoma nodded slightly and handed him her phone.

Inui's eyeglasses was glinting as he texted his 'mother' making Ryoma shiver out-of-nowhere. Soon enough, Inui gave her back her phone unharmed.

But then a few minutes later, he paused his tracks.

"We part here, Echizen. Just go straight ahead." Inui stated, Ryoma raised an eyebrow of suspicion especially at the moments when he looked like he was counting down on his watch.

"Why?"

"I'm not fond of temples." Inui just replied swiftly. It wasn't exactly a lie, either. He was a purist when it came to Science, after all. Ryoma shrugged.

'_Oh well… It's not like I'm going to get lost. I know this way anyway, and the house is just straight ahead.'_ She mused.

Inui nodded in farewell and smirked. '_Time to get some more data.'_

That day had been especially kind on him. Why not push his luck just a _little_ bit more?

**...**

Tezuka Kunimitsu immediately ran out of his house as soon as he received her text. He raced to her house, getting more worried every step that he took. His heartbeat getting more frantic by the second. His legs losing its strength every time he imagined what might happen if he arrived too late.

He read the message again, hoping that he misunderstood it:

_'Mitsu! Please come to the temple as soon as you can, I'm walking home alone and I think someone's following me… Please come as soon you can!'_

That was why when he saw her unharmed; he could not suppress the extreme surge of relief that attacked him.

"Ii. Data." Inui muttered from behind the bushes grinning at the fluffy scene that unfolded. This time, though, he did not forget to take out his phone.

_BAM!_

Reina did not see what was happening to her at the moment coming.

She was walking idly to her house when Kunimitsu appeared out of nowhere looking as if he was just released from a 50-year stay in prison. She asked him worriedly if anything was wrong but he just approached her so quickly that she wasn't able to react. He suddenly lifted her up and brought her closer to him to squeeze his body to hers so tightly that she could no longer breathe.

"Mi-Mitsu-"She gasped as she tried to gently push him and her blush away. She loved all of his touches but her concern for him would always come first. She was especially shaken with that unmasked worried expression on his face.

"W-What happened?" She asked him worriedly as she held his tilted face so that she would see his eyes more clearly. His expression hardened as he swiftly looked around sending threatening glares at all directions.

"Mitsu!" She exclaimed as she forced his face straight to face her again. "What's wrong?"

"You sent me a message that you were being followed, didn't you? I came here as soon as I could." He stated, starting to get confused. Reina blinked.

"I didn't send you a text since this morn- Inui-senpai. He borrowed my phone earlier to text his 'Mother'." She stated wide-eyed, a tad annoyed at herself for not figuring it out. Tezuka frowned and looked around, he could not see the data man, but now he knew why he sensed that air of voyeurism floating around.

"Inui! 100 laps around the city _now_!" He yelled powerfully making a certain bush shiver in fear.

_Silence_

_"**INUI!"**  
><em>

"H-Hai."

And he ran for his life, after confronting the two for a minute of terror.

**...**

"Wasn't that a bit harsh?" Ryoma asked as they watched Inui run for his life…and for his data. Tezuka went to confiscate what he had but he just said he did not have anything with him, and they didn't see that was holding anything either.

She looked at the bush where he came from and saw that he left his notebooks and phone there. He admittedly hid them pretty well, but he was just unlucky that Ryoma was the one who went looking.

She swore to burn the notebooks and format the phone. But before actually erasing everything on the phone she decided to look what he got in it mostly for curiosity.

She went to browse the phone and what she saw made her blush. She was so embarrassed that she didn't notice that Tezuka was behind her, watching their moment earlier as well. She flinched when she finally did. She swiftly turned around and crawled away from him after finding him so close.

Tezuka smiled and dusted himself upon standing up. He held out his hand to help her get up, but his body decided to just pull her closer.

"Your body acted out on its own again, didn't it?" She asks, half-amused. He nodded stiffly, getting _really_ embarrassed with his impulses. Reina stared at him, waiting for him to say something since he wasn't letting go nor did it seem that Tezuka was planning too.

Tezuka let his arm bring the closer together. He leaned down to let himself feel her warm lips and Reina faithfully kissed him back. Their short peck soon turned to a series of kisses. Tezuka felt that he was starting to want to make them more intimate but Tezuka managed to stop before he lost himself.

Reina stared worriedly at him for his abrupt stop. He shook his head as assurance that it wasn't something that she did. It was something _he_ felt. Falling in love was confusing already and now these impulses pop up without warning.

Reina tilted her head, not knowing what to think of his silence. When Tezuka noticed this, he just smiled fondly at her making her smile back even when she had no idea what was running through his head.

He kissed her forehead and she reflexively closed her eyes to maximize the feel of his warmth. He opened his eyes without taking his lips away.

'_I suppose kisses like these will do until I get full control of myself again.'_

He sighed internally.

_How disappointing..._

.  
>.<p>

**CHAPTER XXIII**

**_Coming Soon:  
><em>CHAPTER XXIV: Resolutions  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<br>**

**animelover4ever69- **I'm glad you thought so! And hopefully I can give the other couples bigger roles. XD Thx for the review~

**kimiko nayla- **Yeah, I do too. I'm currently thinking on how to give him a happy ending. Hehe. Thx for the comment!

**Frostfire613- **Yeiy~! LOL. And I hope/pray I can keep a short and constant update rate from now on. Haha. Thx for the comment~**  
><strong>

**etsuki-chan4- T**hank you for the review~! I'm relieved to hear you say that. ahahaha**  
><strong>

**Guest [6/29/12] - **Thanks for the review! :D And here's the update! Hope it was good enough. XD**  
><strong>

**Blueberryxn- **Hehe. I hope this chap didn't disappoint~! XD Thank you for the review, btw. :D**  
><strong>

**Rigoudon3-** Yeiy! I'm very happy to hear that! XDD My brain's all jumbled up due to all the future complications but the effort was worth it. XD Thx for the review!**  
><strong>

**Shadowhawk-** And now I have added Big O to my to-watch list. LOL. It looks good! Is it Shoujo/Josei? And I'm glad you agreed with me with Tezuka meditating and stuff. haha. Thanks for the review~**  
><strong>

**MintLeafeon-** I'm glad you liked the other couples, too. XD She's still no match-maker though... for now. Haha. Thx for the review~!**  
><strong>

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Please pause before proceeding anywhere and comment below. :D<p> 


	24. Resolution

**WARNING! **For those who are expecting a lot Atobe and Yukimura to appear here (or any time soon, for that matter) you will be disappointed.I _tried_, but I got disoriented. So I will focus on Seigaku for a few more chapters. No rush though, I can feel that we're not half-way there yet.

And thanks again for reading this far! Particularly to those who motivated me by letting me know what they thought! Heck, even flames motivate me to write. Anything the reader thought/reaction are of great importance to me. Of course, critiques and pointing out of errors are highly welcome. ^^

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own prince of tennis

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXIV: RESOLUTIONS<strong>

TENNIS CLUB, Morning Practice

It was a Thursday… not exactly the sign of the start of a new school week… but a sign of a new training regime.

"We only have a few days before the start of the prefectural tournaments. As we all know, our opponents this time are on a different level altogether from almost all of the teams we played with during the district tournaments. So, naturally, the training will be a bit harsher as well." Ryuzaki-sensei explained. It was supposed to be done by Inui, but for some reason, the boy looked _way_ darker than he used to.

The coach called the dejected-looking manager to explain the details of the activity. He elucidated quite monotonously, even for him, much to everyone's puzzlement. And the two causes of his despair didn't say a word.

The rules vary from play style to play style. And this training was to help them improve on their strengths and overcome their weaknesses. It sounded pretty exciting… at first. You know, before Inui energized and turned evil again.

"The Offenders need to make a point and Defenders defend their courts within 5 rallies or they lose." He stated, and then grinned out-of-nowhere. "Those who lose will, of course, be punished. He (and a she) will have to drink my new and healthy beverage I call Inui special vegetable Juice _deluxe_, isn't it fitting?" He asked (quite sadistically) as he held up a small pitcher of who-knows-what.

Everyone shivered for their lives.

And as they tried this exercise, they were really right to feel that way.

The exercise was definitely way harder than it looked. After Oishi and Kaidoh got sick due to their loss, Tezuka was starting to feel annoyed. It was obvious that Inui was desperate to get a lot more data especially now that he lost 2 whole volumes on them.

He stared at his girlfriend. She's walking to a court with Eiji, she looked so _healthy…_

He then shifted his gaze to the foul-looking pitcher.

And sighed.

* * *

><p>No one knew, well almost, why it happened. Their captain 'accidentally' drank the whole pitcher of Inui's vegetable juice. He remained impassive, of course, but it was still quite odd to see their captain make such a mistake. They didn't know whether to feel relieved that the juice was gone, or scared that their captain seemed to be losing his sanity.<p>

Only one person felt genuinely glad. He grinned.

"Ii. Data."

**...**

*Several Minutes Later*_  
><em>

_SLAM!_

A certain cross-dresser's eyes twitched in annoyance. "Che."

Ryoma lost to Kikumaru. Maybe she wouldn't have lost if her eyes didn't move to a certain person's direction all the time. Tezuka remained stoic the whole time, so it was hard to know what could've happened. She didn't think that anything new would be worrying him already (considering his state the previous night when she was 'stalked') in just a matter of a few hours…

She was pulled out of her daze by a red-headed human cat's rambling at how awesome he was.

"Yatta! I won! I won~! I WON!" Eiji exclaimed like a child, getting her annoyed like hell. She hit a bouncing ball to her opponent's face.

"_Itte_! O'chibi!" He cried. "Waaaaaaa!"

"Urusai." She muttered apathetically. She thought she was going to get laps, but a certain data player decided to be the one doing the punishing.

"Echizen. Since you lost you have to drink my new prototype since someone got addicted to what I prepared today." He grinned, making everyone's (particularly Tezuka's) eyes to jerk. He held up another container with another type of vile liquid inside. She shivered; she could swear that the liquid was melting its plastic container.

"I call it Golden Power Remix Juice. It's even tastier and healthier than before. It's guaranteed to make you… _livelier_~" He slyly stated, recalling that one of the secret ingredients was alive… and crawling, before getting into the mixer.

And just seeing that sadistic grin already made them feel like vomiting. Reina stiffened when Inui evilly held the container up to her face. She gulped and took a deep _deep _breath and extended her hands.

She was _not_ going to back down from a challenge involving tennis… no matter how utterly freakishly **disgusting** it was.

_GULP_

_GULP_

Eiji shivered and covered himself like a cat. "I-I can't watch this!"_  
><em>

"Oh God..." Oishi muttered.

"..." Tezuka 'said'.

_Gulp_

_CLANK!_

Reina quickly ran to the fountain to relieve herself of the incredibly strong and vile taste the blasted drink gave. It was way stronger than the first one she took, but thankfully she was ready for the bad taste and hence got stronger immunity to the drink as well. But most importantly? Thank _Kami_ that she didn't get lost.

When she finally reached the fountain, safe and sound, she couldn't help but feel relieved. It felt like she drank a whole gallon. Ryoma took a moment to appreciate the loss of the vile taste in her mouth but then she heard a very silent thump somewhere behind her. She started walking to the sound and found out that it came from the other side of the wall.

"Stop making those juices, _now_." Tezuka said firmly as he let his knuckle stay on the wall he punched.

"Now, now, Tezuka. I know you're concerned for your girlfriend, but aren't you being a bit too serious?" Inui asked nonchalantly, hiding his intimidated state well. Tezuka frowned. Ryoma's expression softened as she heard the conversation, she finally knew why Tezuka drank that pitcher.

"By making infusions that make them sick, you're hampering everyone's productivity."

"Are you sure about that Tezuka? I wasn't lying when I said my drinks are healthy. You have to admit that everyone's stamina improved at a much better rate than expected. They are also much… _motivated_ than before." He stated coolly. Tezuka's eyes twitched. It was... true, after all.

"But surely there is a better way to help them. They can always make up for the loss of the drink by training."

"You do know that we don't have that much time. We have to improve faster if we all want to be National-level players."

Tezuka couldn't say anything. But then Ryoma's pale face popped out of his head. He frowned even deeper, angrier than ever.

"I don't want to see any of your liquids again or I'll—"His threat was stopped by someone forcing herself onto him.

"Its fine, Kunimitsu, we could handle it." She stated determinedly as she lifted her face from the side of his chest and tilted her head to look at him. She did not want Tezuka to lessen the team's... improvement rate just because of her. Tezuka's expression softened while Inui froze at the sight.

Tezuka sighed. He was no match for her, that was for certain. He then shifted his gaze at the stiff Inui.

"I want minimal side effects on your drinks, Inui, or I'll make sure you don't make them again." He said firmly and then led Ryoma back to the courts.

_~Whoosh~_

Inui Sadaharu watched them walk away. Tezuka had his hands on her petite shoulder to guide and support her as she walked back. The girl occasionally lifted her face up to smile at her boyfriend as they conversed, mostly for reassurance. Inui's expression softened and he touched his chest.

It was pounding faster than ever.

* * *

><p><span>TUTOR ROOM, Later<span>

Two professional teachers came that day. Both of them were tall, stern-looking, women that didn't seem any older than 40. They were good, she could tell, but Ludwig and Micheal were visibly bored. Only the polite Kumi seemed to be listening.

One of the teachers took notice and said to the two boys that they should listen. The woman flinched upon receiving Ludwig's powerful glare.

"_Ludwig_!" Ryoma automatically exclaimed. The boy winced as he immediately took his glare away from the teacher and bowed his head in defeat. The two teachers blinked and looked at her incredulously.

"How did you do that?" One of the teachers asked her before they left.

"Do what?" She asked back, not knowing what they were talking about. The two women just looked at each other and shrugged.

"Nothing." They shot back simultaneously and then bid their farewell. Ryoma scratched her head in puzzlement but they just smiled.

'_Looks like Akimoto-sama's experiment is a success.'_

**_..._**

When Oishi arrived at the tutor room, they all decided to pack up. They were going to go to the tennis courts and play. They got special permission to use the courts whenever they wanted to.

Ryoma taught Kumi how to properly swing a racket, while Oishi let the two boys play against each other. They got audiences from behind the windows on their side of the building. Thankfully though, there were classes, so they only got audiences at the brief recesses between subjects. And soon enough, Kuroro joined them in the courts.

"Wai~ Kumi, you've improved!" Kuroro complimented her protégé making the shy Kumi blush. She was in an especially good mood today, for reasons most people would immediately guess.

"Did Kaidoh-senpai ask you out on a date?" Ryoma asked bluntly making Oishi sweat drop and Hona to almost faint in embarrassment. Ludwig tilted his head down to hide his smile.

"Ryoma-ch-chan!" She cried with her tomato-face. Oishi chuckled.

"Kuroro-san, she meant no harm. She's just helplessly blunt, you know." He reason and Kuroro just sighed.

"I am not helpless." Ryoma uttered, offended, hearing a certain dislikable word in the sentence. Oishi blinked at her reaction and just smiled- effectively making her pout.

"Che."

* * *

><p><span>ROOFTOP, LUNCH TIME<span>

It was hot that day at the rooftop. And it was not just because of the sun.

"Whoa! You're so lucky Oishi-nya~!" Eiji exclaimed as he drooled at his partner's lunch, courtesy of Sakuno.

"I wish I had a girlfriend as well…" He muttered getting Ryoma's eyes to twitch. Eiji just made it sound like girls were _supposed_ to make lunch for their boyfriends.

Well, did they?

Her pocket suddenly vibrated. It was her cellphone and it seemed there was a text message of sorts. She blinked and inserted her hand on her pocket to read it as it was inside her pocket so no one would see.

'You don't need to make lunch for me, Reina.' It said making her smile, but she made sure that it was only light enough for only Tezuka, who was directly looking at her, to see. However, her pretty smile disappeared immediately after Eiji talked.

Eiji was looking around prior and his eyes ended on Kumi. "Ne, Kumi. Do you know how to cook? I know Ryoma-chan can't." He said bluntly, making a vein pop on Ryoma's head, Kumi blushed, and everybody else sweat dropped at what Eiji was obviously trying to do. Ryoma was still annoyed, so she decided to reply to Tezuka's text.

'But I will try, anyway. I'll do my best not to give you a stomachache, but please bring some medicine just in case.' She typed half-jokingly.

Tezuka stifled a chuckle. He couldn't laugh when everybody was there, after all. He could only do and show so much to other people… that was not Reina.

"Eiji..." Oishi muttered in embarrassment. Ryoma stared at the cat.

"Pedo-cat."

"Nya!"

"HHAHAHHAHAHAH! Ped-o pfft- HAHHAHA!" Momoshiro laughed out loud while a few others stifled theirs. Ryoma, seeing that she had successfully vented her annoyance on its source decided to continue eating. She held up her silver chopstick to nom on her mother's cooking. She paused when she caught Kuroro staring.

"Ryoma-chan. I heard that you're favorite color is silver, right? Why is that?" Kuroro asked curiously as she eyed her lunch box after the little commotion by Eiji was over. Everyone looked at them, also interested in the answer while Ryoma looked at the clouds to see if the answer was there.

"Hmm… There's no real reason… It's just that when someone asked me I answered the first pretty color that I saw." she stated bluntly, recalling _who_ this person was.

"Ehhh…" Kuroro muttered as she took a bite. "That's interesting."

Ryoma just nodded and Kuroro felt like smiling at her.

'_What an unusual girl…'_

* * *

><p><span>TENNIS COURTS, After Class Practice<span>

"Sugoi~! The little ones have talent!" Eiji shamelessly yelled as he watched the three protégés. They still have a long way to go, but they definitely improved greatly considering they've only been training only for a few weeks. Kumi blushed, while the two boys looked apathetic but observant people would see that they, too, were glad.

Kawamura clapped his hands cutely to tell them he thought the same while most of the others just smiled. One of those said smiling people walked closer to her clapping senpai.

"Senpai, your racket." She said bluntly and imposing it to him indirectly. Kawamura did what she wanted and went to his hyper mode.

"GREAAATTTTTOOOO! This calls for a celebration! Free Eat-all-you-can sushi for tonight!" He shouted. Ryoma smiled internally as everyone gave her thumbs-ups.

**...**

"Ara? Tezuka isn't here?" Eiji asked his doubles partner who just arrived. Oishi went to the faculty with Tezuka, and Eiji immediately went to tell him the good news.

"Ryuzaki-sensei and Tezuka had a lot of things to take care of before the prefecturals. They said they had to finish it by today since they'd be doing other important things during the next two days we have left."

Most of them showed their disappointment, but the stoic ones, of course, were determined to hide it. Reina entered a daze immediately. Somehow their earlier conversation, the one when they left Inui behind the school, passed by her head. Other than the issue with the juices, there was something else that he seemed to be fighting with.

She did not push, though, she knew he was waiting for a good time to tell her.

"Saa… Let's just force him to go with us next time, ne?" Fuji stated, mostly to Reina. She smiled lightly at his obvious attempt, making him feel like he was going to burst.

Don't get him wrong, he had already given up on ever making Reina his girlfriend. But if the guy who caught her heart wasn't Tezuka, Fuji was sure he would never be able to leave her alone. Unfortunately though, it really _was_ Tezuka, so he decided that he should just be with her as a friend and make her happy in his own way.

Some would say it was a selfless decision- even martyrdom. But in the end he realized, it was for self-preservation.

He didn't want to destroy his relationship with those two important people just because of greed, after all.

And so, he would persevere. Mostly for himself... and for his sanity.

* * *

><p><span>FACULTY<span>

It was almost dark, and the two figures of authority were among the few people who were still in the room. Only a few more papers to do and they were done, but the serious atmosphere surrounding them did not change.

"Like I said. I won't allow it." She stated catching her protégé's somber stare. It could get admittedly quite intimidating, and she would've forced him to come with his team if he wasn't so stern. In a sense, she also knew that Tezuka would go through with his plan even with her intervention, but she was not about to give in.

"Why are you going to sacrifice your whole tennis career anyway? I thought tennis was one of the things that connected you two? Are you willing to just trash that?" She asked knowing very well how much Tezuka loved Reina.

Ryuzaki was one of the first to know they were dating. She was a person who could see her student's almost invisible mood swings, after all. And she knew well how Reina might react to his decision as well.

"Of course not, Sensei. I said I wasn't going to endanger my arm. It's only going to be a one-set game."

She shook her head. it simply wasn't enough reassurance. "But, why-"

"She showed me her own style before, it told me how much she loved tennis and for some reason it also reminded me why I played. I wanted her to let it out again, sensei." He stated, pertaining to the style that she showed during those two times they fought.

Ryuzaki winced for an instant at his uncharacteristically long sentences, but she immediately got serious afterward. The fact that Reina showed him the style she usually just locked away meant that she trusted him, she was not going to allow her student betray that trust.

"What do you think she'd do if she finds out about your arm?" She asked condescendingly hoping to stop his streak of madness.

"She already knows, sensei." He replied stoically, making her flinch.

"S-She does? Then how do you think you'll make her agree with you, then?" She exclaimed getting her co-faculties to stare at her. Tezuka just closed his eyes in concentration.

He knew how much his girlfriend had improved since they last played, and he was sure he wasn't going to win without getting serious. Yes, he was willing to sacrifice his arm. So long as it was for _her._

He had been pondering about this for a while now, especially after that conversation he had with her father. The more he thought about it, the more willing he was to do this risk.

She rarely used her own style, her father said so himself. When she was playing as Ryoma it felt like she was simply after some goal, but he knew Reina genuinely loved tennis… and he wanted her to enjoy it fully again. The style she always used_ was_ the thing that hindered that purpose. He wanted her to experience it like he did when he played with her, be it as Ryoma or Reina.

He'd let out a deep breath.

"I'd find a way, Sensei. Just please give me your permission." He stated with extreme resolve that caught his teacher off-guard. Ryuzaki sighed. She knew she had no power over this anymore.

"Very well…" She muttered in defeat and Tezuka smiled.

"Thank you." he said and took his leave. He closed the door as gently as he could.

Indeed... doing this for her was one of the few things only _he_ could do to make her happier.

And he was willing to pay any price for it.

* * *

><p><span>ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD<span>

Ryoma arrived at her house a tad later than what her parents expected.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to worry too much?" She stated at her sobbing brother and father. Rinko was ignoring them and was chatting with Meino. But she immediately turned to them when she realized her daughter was staring at her, asking for help.

Ludwig immediately went to his room.

"You know how many bodyguards she already has, right? Why are you making such a big deal when she's only twenty minutes late?"

"B-B-ut!" Ryoga uttered.

"Those bodyguards are _men_! They can't be trusted! We need to hire Maria-chan again, Shikusooo!" Nanjiroh yelled pertaining about Reina's former bodyguard. Ryoga stiffened at the name, but continued mumbling curses again.

"You forgot you're a man, too? Then again…" Ryoma muttered stoically at first and then looked away pretending to consider something…

"I _am_ damnit!" He cried again. A vein appeared on her head. This was definitely going to be a waste of time.

"I'll be in my room." She stated apathetically ignoring his father and brother's sobs.

"Sleep tight~ Don't let the bed bugs bite!" Rinko said sweetly, and went back to ignoring the boy's blubbers… again.

**...**

Just after she finished dressing up for bed, her phone rang. She was expecting it to be Tezuka but it had a different ringtone.

"Nani?" She asked not knowing who called her.

"Nothing. Ore-sama just wanted to see if you are still alive." He stated. Reina's eye twitched at the sound of his voice. She normally didn't mind the way he talked, but she remembered what Ann told her a few day back.

"I don't know you." She replied, recalling her resolution that day she wasted a Ponta.

_Silence_

"How r-"She hung up, and placed her phone on the counter only for it to ring again. She ignored the call and turned off the sound and vibration.

She stretched her arms and was about to climb up to her bed when—

"REINA! Come down here!" Her mother yelled. She walked lazily to the stairs and asked what she wanted.

"Phone."

"Who is it?"

"Tezuka." Her mother stated while covering the mouth piece tightly. Reina's eyebrow rose at this but decided to shrug it off and take the phone.

"Hello, M-"

"What the heck are you doing ignoring Ore-sam—"She quickly put down the phone and glared at her mother.

"What? I don't know what he did to make you want to ignore him but have mercy on the poor boy, Reina." Her mother implored omitting the fact that the said boy was frantically asking her to convince Reina to talk to him. Atobe would never admit his feelings for her, but everyone close enough to him would know immediately… except for Reina, of course.

The phone rang again.

"WHAT?" She irritably exclaimed at the poor phone only to find herself blushing at the sound of her boyfriend's voice.

"Reina?" He asked anxiously. "Is there anything wrong?"

"N-No! I just thought… you were someone…else…" She muttered embarrassingly making her mother chuckle. She glared at her mother who in turn just smiled and walked lazily away.

"Who?" Tezuka asks with his trademark demanding voice.

"An old friend who harassed a few of my current friends." She stated, determined to pretend she didn't know the said friend. Tezuka sensed her reluctance to point out on who it was, but decided to pry later on. He needed to do something first.

"We need to talk."

"Yeah…?" She said, asking him to continue. Wasn't that what they were doing _now_?

"Personally."

"When?"

"Now."She blinked and looked at the time. It was almost 10pm…

"I'm already outside your house."

She flinched but shook it off. '_Oh well… It's not like he didn't propose something like this before.'_ She mused and recalled a now-precious memory. She recalled how Tezuka looked at her that time. She flushed involuntarily.

'_I wonder when I started to fall in love with him…'_

"Reina?" She blinked (again), surprised, and then grinned out-of-nowhere..

"I'll be there in a second." She replied and hurriedly walked out the door.

**...**

Tezuka Kunimitsu stared at her approaching figure. She was wearing that nightdress of hers again outside her house. He shook his head. She was in her house, so what was he so worried about? Who could take advantage of her here?

His eyes twitched.

It could only be him.

'_Damned hormones…'_

"Mitsu?" She said as she looked at her boyfriend who seems to be in a daze. She flinched when he suddenly shook his head. He cleared his throat and started to talk.

"You may be wondering what's so important that I need to talk to you all of a sudden." He stated in his usual tone of voice. Reina nodded in affirmation.

"I'm here to challenge you to a match, Reina."

She batted an eyelid at the unexpected statement and then frowned. "Yadda."

"I'm not taking a 'no' for an answer."

She scoffed. "What a challenge." Tezuka frowned.

"I'm serious."

"Why? All of a sudden." She asked getting irritated by his unreasonable persistence.

"I can't tell you."

"What?" She angrily exclaimed. She was not going to let him risk his arm for an 'I-can't-tell-you.'

"I'll come by tomorrow after school. Be ready." He stated resolutely trying to remain calm under her angry glare.

"That's not _fair,_ Kunimitsu!" She vehemently whispered to him, not wanting any of her family to know she was yelling her lungs out. "You can wait here tomorrow for all I care. I can just sleep over somewhere."She exhaled to calm herself.

"Goodnight, Kunimitsu." She stated firmly as she stared onto his eyes for an instant and then started to walk back inside the house. She only got to take a few steps before Tezuka hugged her back. He slowly buried his face on to her small shoulders.

"Please." He implored with his serene voice.

"Mitsu…" She muttered. She felt bad at being so mean to him, but she really did not want Tezuka to hurt himself. "I don't want you to risk your arm for me."

"I know." He replied, not moving.

"Then why…?"

"I can't tell you." Reina's eyes twitched again, then tried to get herself out of his grasp so that she could face him. She could not move. Being the strongest pre-teen in the whole of United States seemed to mean nothing under his grasp.

He held her tighter and muttered. "Just trust me."

She didn't say anything. She couldn't. Consummate trust was one of the greatest aspects of their relationship. They trusted each other the first time they met, and they forever will.

Probably.

"You promise that you'd do your best not to hurt yourself?"

Tezuka nodded immediately, hoping that she wouldn't suspect. Reina sighed.

"Fine."

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXIV**

**_Coming Soon:  
><em>CHAPTER XXV: Pillar**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS:<strong>

**Frostfire613- **Thank you for the comment! And as requested, there are more Pillar moments here! Hehe Hope you liked it~~! XD

**Forever Waiting Girl- **I answered this on my A/N above. It'll happen. But do dismiss the expectations for a while, ok? Sorry to disappoint and thx for the comment!**  
><strong>

**PissMeOffAndDie- (ch3) **Hopefully you are reading this. LOL. Thank you for sharing the names with me by the way! I really like them, too. ;D**  
><strong>

**MintLeafeon- **Yatta! haha. I am very happy you thought so~ And yes, Inui is in very much in trouble for a while. XD Thanks for the comment~!**  
><strong>

**PurpleScorpion- **Thanks for the review~! And yes, Shinji does have a crush on her now. But I won't go into that. ;D It'll be a catalyst for another pairing. Tehee.**  
><strong>

**Blueberryxn- ***Claps* Yoosh! XDD That's a great thing to hear, lol. And Thank you for the review. ;)**  
><strong>

**Shadowhawk- **Ghaha. That's why I dedicated the title to poor Inui. Lol. And will Keigo confess? Lol, not anytime soon I tell you. Even farther for Yukimura. XD And the Shinji thing is like my stepping stone for writing my first Yaoi pairing. Pfft- haha. Thank you for the review. (:D**  
><strong>

**Big Sis of 8- **A future paparazzi, maybe? LOL. And Thank you for the review! Ahahaha~**  
><strong>

**etsuki-chan4- **Oh yeah, he definitely did! XD Thank you for the comment~! (:D**  
><strong>

**Guest [7/12/12]- **I'm glad I got to hear from you, then! XD Thanks for the review and I hope you liked this update. ;D**  
><strong>

**Natasya Ivashkov- (ch1) **I dunno how to reply to that. lol. Thanks for commenting anyway. XD**  
><strong>

**Akela Victoire- (Ch1)** Assuming you'll get this far (XD) I thank you for the review!**  
><strong>

**Animelover9280- **YEAHH! Pillar pair foreever! Haha. Thank you for the review~**  
><strong>

**lunarmidnightwolf- **I'm glad you thought so~! Thx for the comment. :D**  
><strong>

** Calling . the .storm - **Tehee. Here it is! Hope you liked it but you can be honest with me. XD Thx for the comment~**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p>Thanks for reading!<br>**Please share with us your thoughts and write below! :D  
><strong>


	25. Pillar

**This (the 'pillar pair' moment) will probably not be as dramatic as most of us would have wanted it to. T_T I tried other things, but this is the best I could do after my writing break. Be warned! Thanks for bearing with this story until now, as well. :D**

But before going to the story, I would like to thank everyone who fa'ved, C2d, subscribed, and especially those who reviewed! Extra hugs to those who gave out multiple reviews. I'd also like to give special mentions to those who reviewed** _most_** of my chapters so far! Free Cheers for **Mintleafeon, Frostfire613, Jury28, Blueberryxn, and Shadowhawk~**

In any case- HAPPY READING and please don't hesitate to review. ^^

**DISCLAIMER:** I wish I own Prince of Tennis**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>[925/12]**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXV: Pillar<strong>

SEIGAKU TENNIS COURTS

Only two days left before the prefectural tournaments and everyone was all hyped up. Everyone was, indeed. But no one knew why two of their most stoic members were actually _showing_ their enthusiasm. It was evident in their play. They were both going all-out, no matter who the opponent was.

'_Today's the day.'_ Ryoma mused quite excitedly. She was finally going to play with Tezuka again, something they didn't do since she found out about his fragile arm. Tezuka said she should trust that he wouldn't get hurt, and she did so without hesitation. Trust was, after all, practically one of the largest pillar that supported their odd relationship. In fact, at the moment... it was like she's forgotten the fact that she might just break his arm altogether.

After pummeling one of his non-regular schoolmates, Tezuka stole a glance of his girlfriend. She was hyped-up, he could tell, and he smiled. All he had to do now was to make sure he didn't damage his arm… not only because he was scared of not being able to play tennis, but also because he was scared that Reina would no longer trust him.

He recalled that condescending frown that she gave him the moment she found out he hid something so important from her.

He frowned. She didn't hate him that time, just disappointed. Her being disappointed in him already gave him so much pain...

So he wondered if he'd be able to take it if she became genuinely mad at him.

**...**

His short trance was broken by Oishi approaching him. The raven-head fukubuchou wore a very grave expression telling Tezuka that Ryuzaki-sensei told him about his upcoming match.

"Nothing you say will stop me." He replied before he could say anything.

"B-But you arm!" He exclaimed fervently, but only loud enough for Tezuka to hear.

"It's fine. I won't use my special shot, nor will I allow my arm to get too stressed." He answered his vehemence with his calming baritone voice. Oishi stared at him in a way that he was hoping his pleading gaze would change the man's mind.

But Tezuka did not even flinch.

"Don't worry, Oishi. Everything will be fine." Oishi flinched at that soft expression that Tezuka let out. Oishi's expression, too, softened immediately.

"If you say so…" Seigaku's mother hen breathed deeply. "But... why?"

He didn't answer vocally but instead looked at Ryoma. Oishi shifted his gaze on to her, as well. He looked at his captain. Tezuka's eyes were showing emotions that he was never allowed to see before. His eyes widened at the realization.

"Tezuka, you…?" He incoherently uttered. Tezuka just nodded in understanding.

"Does she know?" He asked, Tezuka replied with a nod again. Oishi blinked. He never noticed. Those two were really good at hiding their emotions, he concluded. Otherwise the incredible strength of emotions that Tezuka showed would have so easily showed.

"How long?

"A few weeks."

"Ah…" he gulped, not really knowing what to say. "Congratulations."

Tezuka smiled in assent. And Oishi stuttered at the sight he hadn't seen for…well... _ever_.

* * *

><p><span>HOME-EC LAB<span>

Inside one the most accursed place (for Reina) in the school, she took the only blasted subject she was required to attend to. She glared at the knife and the onion she was supposed to cut- which unfortunately, seemed be afraid of getting cut and literally jumped out of her cutting board.

"Che." she muttered, but _hell_ she would give up.

No way.

She did not notice a pair of eyes watching her so close.

It was a female teacher no younger than 40 years old, and she observed her adorable student who was working harder than ever. The woman smirked.

'_She must've found herself a boyfriend.'_

**_..._**

About half-an-hour later, the dreaded taste-testing finally commenced.

A pair of golden orbs watched closely as her food was getting analyzed. The taste-tester, Sakuno, widened her eyes- making Ryoma flinch.

"Whoa! This is actually edible Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno couldn't help but exclaim, and Ryoma found her posture softening in relief.

Everyone gaped at the odd but cute sight they made. It was the boyfriend that made his girlfriend lunch and was waiting shyly for her affirmation. Although she didn't show it, Ryoma was so embarrassed that she didn't notice a vengeful glare directed at her best-friend-slash-pretend-girlfriend.

"REALLY?! It's not _Charcoal_?!" Horio yelled as he eyed the meal that only looked…gray. Ryoma's eye twitched.

"Urusai, Chimp."

Everyone laughed at Horio making him blush in embarrassment.

"That is so fitting~!" Tomo commented slyly. "You're so good at making names Ryoma-sama~!"

"Sakuno doesn't deserve him." A girl commented out-of-nowhere making everyone stare at her. She looked around and pointed a demeaning finger at Sakuno.

"She's cheating on you Echizen-sama."

Everyone stared at her as if she ate a cockroach. The girl frowned deeper.

"And with one of your teammates, too. I can prove it." She added making everyone, save for Ryoma, open their mouths in shock while Sakuno blushed furiously. She showed them a picture from her pocket as proof. It was true; Oishi and Sakuno were happily holding hands, chatting.

The girl blinked at the sight of her idol's unfazed expression. But Ryoma was actually relieved that this came up before anyone got seriously hurt. It was lucky that the girl who saw seemed to have guts and a knack for attention.

"I know. We broke up already some time ago." She stated. "We're just friends now."

_Silence_

No one said anything for a while, not before Horio caught himself and started to yell.

"EHHHHHHHHHHH!?"

* * *

><p><span>ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD<span>

It was nearing dusk that day, and two demanding figures stood alone inside the tennis court behind the temple. Someone from afar would not have guessed just how smugly they were looking at the other.

"I'll win this time." She commented arrogantly, pointing him her red tennis racket. He returned it with an equally haughty grin.

"We'll see."

Ryoma gripped ball and dropped it to the ground, dribbling it as a habit. She threw the ball up after the 3rd bounce and smirked.

"Oh, we _will_."

**...**

_**THUMP!**  
><em>

Ryoma frowned muttering curses as she got another ball, since another one just went past her. Tezuka smirked.

"30-love, Reina. You won't score a point if you continue holding back." He said stoically. Reina frowned.

"Who said I was holding back?" She shot back an instant before hitting a very fast ball. Tezuka _almost_ missed it.

"Che." She muttered in disappointment. She really had to get serious to get a point. But what if something happened to his arm?

"Didn't I tell you to trust me? Nothing will happen to me even if you use your full force." He said to her trying to intimidate her. Her eyes twitched.

"Isn't that like underestimating me?" She asked with her eyes not stopping its incessant jerking.

"Well. We _are _having a one-sided game." He replied bluntly effectively placing a vein on her head. Ryoma breathed in to calm herself and then smirked arrogantly at her opponent.

"You'll regret saying that."

**...  
><strong>

*A few minutes later*

"Tsk." Reina muttered irritably since she _still_ couldn't get a point. And she was no longer holding back.

_What could she be doing wrong?_

"That mimicry of a style you are currently using is no match for mine, Reina." He commented confidently, as if answering her thoughts. She only glared at him, though.

"You are _really_ starting to annoy me, Mitsu!" She exclaimed upon hitting a lob.

"I haven't already…?" He replied returning it with a smash.

"_Grrrr…_ " She sounded, both for the point _and_ for his comment. She closed her eyes for a second in attempt to catch her cool. He wanted to see her style again? She'd give it to him.

Tezuka noted the slight change in her rhythm.

He smirked.

* * *

><p><em>RIIINNG! <em>

The phone of the house rang taking Rinko out of her concentrated effort to watch the fast-paced game. She lazily walked to it and answered.

"Hello?"

"Rinko-san? Is Reina there…?" The boy from the other line asked, obviously trying to mask his eagerness.

"Ah… Yes, Keigo, but she's kind of busy."

"She is?" He muttered disappointed but Rinko knew he's planning something.

"You're planning on a surprise visit with a peace offering, aren't you? I bet it's a stuff toy of one of her favorite anime characters."

_Silence_

She scoffed. She just knew that one of her godson was blushing like hell on the other line.

"She'd really hate you if you disturb her now, Keigo. Try again next time." She said trying to avoid additional complications for her daughter. The boy sighed. She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. But she knew her godson well, he wasn't making a move on Reina because of his pride and due to the fact that it seemed like Reina would never fall for anyone. Especially anyone that wasn't him or Seichi.

She sighed as well, she didn't want things to be so intricate for her daughter but Keigo didn't deserve the kind of aversion her daughter was giving him.

"Call her again tonight, but this time please don't mask your true feelings with haughtiness." She stated, immediately hanging up.

**...**

Echizen Nanjiroh watched the two behind his window with both admiration and amusement. Then his gaze moved to another boy with raven hair looking at the two with worried eyes. He positioned himself far away from them. Like Nanjiroh, he knew the two players would appreciate this important game alone.

It was good that she met that boy. He recalled the disappointment he felt when she turned to _this_ style again after those boys left her to fend for herself all those years ago. Reina started using her own style again from time to time when she saw them again, but she was still reluctant. He was shocked to say the least when he found out she used her techniques during the first time she met Tezuka.

He smiled at them. _He had a lot of thanking to do…_

He watched as Tezuka performed an impressive drop-shot. Nanjiroh's gaze softened further.

_...especially now that the boy was willing to sacrifice something big for her._

* * *

><p>"Ugh." Ryoma puffed out as she involuntarily sat down due to fatigue. She got two points after changing styles, but she lost due to that blasted shot of his.<p>

Since when did drop shots roll back to the net, anyway?

After catching his breath he walked to his girlfriend to help her get up. But just before their hands could touch, Reina stared at his extended arm.

"Are you sure I didn't damage your arm?" She asked worriedly, he just nodded in reply.

"Are you sure you didn't do anything that might damage your arm, then?" She questioned, noting his posture when he did those unbelievable drop shots.

Tezuka's eyes twitched for a millisecond but he immediately shook his head to deny the claim. He forced himself to calm down as an arrow of self-hatred pierced his chest. He just lied to her. Again.

Reina frowned, she saw that twitch, but she shook her head of the thoughts. She would never think that Tezuka could lie to her about this. Hiding things was one thing, but lying was something totally different.

She sighed.

"What?" Tezuka asked, masking his anxiety well.

"When will I ever beat you in tennis?" She muttered making him smile. He smiled at her. He somehow rehearsed this scene.

"Accept and enhance your own style, and you will be able to defeat me in no time." He stated and then straightened himself up after she could stand up on her own, by herself. He just realized that Reina could do something even bigger, and not just for him.

She could also do something bigger for the team that both of them had grown to love.

"Reina, you know most of the regulars are graduating soon, right?" He asked and Reina reluctantly nodded. _'Why does he have to remind me of this now?'_ she thought grimly. They would no longer be able to spend as much time then, after all.

"Become Seigaku's pillar of support."

"Huh?" She asked with an eyebrow raised. Tezuka made no change in expression, so she shifted her questioning gaze at Oishi, whom she just noticed there. The fukubuchou just smiled encouragingly at her.

"Don't you already have tons of fan clubs?"

_Silence_

If Tezuka wasn't Tezuka, he would've lost his footing. Oishi chuckled. "Way to ruin the mood Echizen."

She continued to stare alternatively at the two. Then something clicked on her brain.

"W-Wait… Are you asking me to be your successor?" She remarked incredulously. He nodded firmly.

"How come? Don't you think it's kind of unfair…? And tell me you're not asking me this because I'm your girlfriend…"

Tezuka smiled at her, amused at her reactions. "I'm not. You have great strength Reina, but you don't seem to know that. We need someone like you to keep Seigaku standing tall."

She blinked at the statement and pondered. And pondered.

_And pondered…_

Tezuka chuckled, making Oishi gape at them. Their captain then put his hand on the girl's head to pull her out of here trance.

"Anyone but you could see it, Reina." He said to her. "You give strength to people without anyone even noticing it immediately. Even me." Reina tilted her head to him and looked at him in the eye, trying to interpret what he just said.

"What do you mean?"

"A lot." He replied, now trying his best not to look away in embarrassment.

"Tell me." She requested, looking at him intently. Tezuka could not refuse her.

"I never would've had the courage to accept I had a weakness if the weakness wasn't you." He said _as nonchalantly as he could._

And Reina flushed. Oishi did, too. He never would've expected those words from his supposedly stoic captain.

After pushing the blood on her cheeks down, she cleared her throat and looked at Tezuka. "Are you sure you're supposed to be so blunt? I can take advantage of that, you know."

"I don't mind." He replied with a smirk. Reina chuckled at the answer, while Oishi just... well, _froze._

'_Oh my God.' _he mused in incredulity_. _

_'I can't believe Tezuka's _flirting_…'_

**_..._**

Later that day, the three watched the orange sky as they sat at the verandah- feeling the cool wind against their faces. Tezuka held Reina's hand, while Oishi stared at her. He had a lot of questions.

"Why did you seal it in the first place?" Oishi asked her getting Tezuka, who was staring at the tree in front of them with a soft expression, look at them to listen.

"Yes, I'm curious about that myself."

She tilted her head downwards thinking for a moment how to tell them. "Remember the childhood friends I told you about?" She asked Tezuka without looking away from the ground. Tezuka nodded.

But... all that she told him was that she had best friends as a child and she loved to play tennis with them. Apparently, they were in Japan as well.

"We made up our techniques together. My style was developed as I was playing with them. But when they all left me six years ago without telling me why... I guess it just reminded me of them." She muttered sadly to herself. They knew that the memory was unpleasant and they were not planning on digging deeper without her full consent.

They watched her sigh before they heard a clap from behind, calling their attention. It was Rinko.

"Dinner time, everyone~!"

* * *

><p>A few hours later, the two seniors had taken their leave. Reina had been lying on her bed for quite a few number of minutes already, being unable to sleep. She was staring grimly at her phone as it vibrated. She set it to that setting for a specific number, and she was very reluctant to answer it.<p>

A few minutes later, it didn't stop. And she sighed.

'_I suppose I was too mean, after all…'_

_Click_

Reina stared at the ceiling and composed herself, taking advantage of the momentary silence from the other line.

"Reina…" the person called her name with an unmasked relief in his voice. She winced at the hint of desperation she was hearing.

"Did anything happen?" She asked, worried for her arrogant friend. He didn't answer for a bit but when he did he seemed to have regained his composure.

"How would Ore-sama know? _You_ tell me." She didn't answer. But before she could utter any insults, he cut her off.

"What did I do to make you mad?" He asked seriously making Reina sneer.

"Where's the Ore-sama bit?"

"…" was his reply. She smiled at first but then she remembered the answer to his question. She instantaneously frowned.

"Oh, nothing..." she muttered sarcastically. "It was just that you used _tennis_, of all things to pick a girl up and harass a few players."

She heard a rather huge offended scoff on the other line.

"… I know you have your beliefs about tennis- but how _could_ you ignore my incessant calls for _days_?!" He yelled indignantly.

"The said girl and players just happen to be my friends."

"What?" He responded, almost squeaking.

"Don't make me repeat myself, Monkey King."

"T-Those people a-are?" He asked with obvious skepticism. "How do you know them?" he added. Atobe was thinking that the world was _way_ too small if that were true.

"I'm schoolmates with one of them." She stated, it was followed by a momentary silence.

"Wait… Aren't you still homeschooled?"

"Baka." She replied. Baka-Atobe must have assumed that she still was after that little incident with that jerk who received additional pain from him.

"Oi. Answer Ore-sama's question, commoner!" He practically huffed.

"I just did, Monkey king."

"Calling Ore-sama an idiot is not an answer." He stated.

"Yes, it is." She shot back and she knew Keigo's eyes were twitching.

"Where?" He finally asked, admitting defeat.

"I study at Seigaku."

_Silence_…

..for about a second.

"You do?!"

"Yep. I don't get it though. I could've sworn I told you that I was no longer homeschooled _and_ that I was studying at Seigaku."

"…"

"Ah. That was Seichi."

"Don't mix us up, darn it. That's just bad-mannered! Ore-sama is offended."

"Urusai. What's your school again…? Hy-Hyogyu..?"

"Hyotei. We're the number one team in Tokyo."

"Eeehhhhh…That's going to end soon." She responded haughtily. She heard something crash from the other line.

"_What_? Don't tell me you've become a fan girl!"

"As if."

"Then what?"

"Is it bad for me to support my own school?"

"It _is, _if you're choosing it over me."

"Who the heck would want to support you? Wait… I didn't know you even needed one- Ehhh… The arrogant Atobe Keigo admits he's not all _that_?"

"…"

"Ore-sama is the greatest being in existence."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then why do you want my support, then?" She asked mockingly. They _were_ good friends, but Keigo would never admit he needed her. Not that she knew this, of course.

"…"

"I don't."

"So…Like I said. Seigaku will take the championship."

"Don't be so sure. We beat them last year."

"You did? That's hard to believe…"

"Ore-sama effortlessly won against their captain last year making him even more popular. He is even the captain now of the great Hyotei Tennis club, with 200 mem—"

"But that's because Mi- Tezuka-buchou was not the captain yet." She stated assertively making him shut up.

"Tezuka? That blanked-faced—"

"Oi."

"What?"

"Don't you _dare_ insult him, Keigo."

Atobe's eyes widened, but he cleared his throat to force some words out. "W-Why?"

"…"

"Reina."

"He's…" Reina paused. Telling others of their relationship was a much more embarrassing task than she had imagined.

"He's _what_, Reina?" He asked forcefully making her flinch.

"…My friend." She lied. She was thankful she had learned to control her emotions… when she wasn't with Tezuka.

"I didn't know he coul—"

"KEIGO. You better shut up if you don't want me to hang up." She stated irritably.

"…"

"Good night, Keigo."

"Oi-"

_Beep_

* * *

><p><span>ATOBE HOUSEHOLD<span>

Atobe Keigo stared at his phone for who knew how long. He didn't understand why he was feeling so insecure. There was just something in her voice when she talked about his rival that she did not like.

'_Could she—'_

He shook his head. Reina told him they were just friends. She didn't sound disappointed, so she couldn't _possibly_ have a one-sided crush on _that_ guy.

'_Right…?'_ He asked himself for assurance.

He fell on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He could not imagine Reina looking at anyone else that way… He had always dreamed of having a future with her but he could not admit his feelings in front of her. Not when he knew she didn't think of him the same way.

"What do I do, now?" he asked himself only to be answered by a knock on the door.

"Keigo?" Renko whispered checking if her son was set. She looked around and saw that he wasn't.

"Your team's flight to America is due in 2 hours, Keigo. What are you doing just lying there?"

"I won't come, Mother."

"What?"

"I…need to supervise the team. Shishido won't be able to do it alone."

"Are you sure?" She asked, a bit perplexed even when she already knew the answer. He set that trip a few months ago so he could visit her, he was lucky that there was a big tennis convention and training program there so he had an excuse. He was annoyed when his team found out, but what was important was that he got to see her again.

But now that she was _here_ in Japan, there was no reason for him to. That, Renko knew. But what puzzled her was what she saw on her son's eye: Insecurity.

Keigo was anxious about something…

It was then she recalled an earlier conversation with her friends.

She smirked.

'_Whoops, sorry Rinko. He found out.'_

**.**  
><strong>.<strong>

**END OF CHAPTER XXV**

**_Coming Soon:  
><em>CHAPTER XXVI: _Turbulence_**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<br>**

**Blueberryxn-** I did! On this one, too. So happy I finally broke that freaking writer's block. XD Thanks for the review!**  
><strong>

**Frostfire613- **Oh- haha. The match wasn't given that much emphasis. Hope I didn't disappoint much! Haha. Thank you for the comment~**  
><strong>

**MintLeafeon- **Oh he _did_. Censored though. Ahahahahaha. And Thank you for reviewing~**  
><strong>

**Shadowhawk- **Cute and scary at the same time is awesome. XD And I'm glad you appreciate my responses! I can't quite sit still without replying to the lovely people who review my chapters... so thanks again for the review!**  
><strong>

**Lady Syndra- **I hope this chapter didn't take long! It's not as good as most of us would want it to be, but I hope you liked it! Thx for the comment~**  
><strong>

**Animelover9280- ***blushes* Glad to hear that! And I'll try my best. You can be honest with me if you don't like a chap though~**  
><strong>

**etsukichan4- **Thank you for the comment~ Hope it remains that way. XD Warn me if I go to that soap-opera tendency of mine. haha**  
><strong>

**think-pink-jess- **Oh he won't, don't worry. I just changed his reasons for helping Ryoma out. Hehe. thx for the comment~**  
><strong>

**lunarmidnightwolf- **Thank you so much and I'm glad I was of help. :D**  
><strong>

**xxxninJAxx- (Chapter 23) **Ahaha. Took you long enough! XD Hope it stays, though. Lol. **(Ch24) **Sorry for the late update! I'll try harder. XD And the Reina-Kuniharu meeting will happen. Just not soon. It'll probably be on one of the last arcs. ;D Thx for the comments~**  
><strong>

**mai-chan265- (Chapter22) **She doesn't! Wait.. I think I explained the answer in Facebook. XD** (Ch23) **Ahaha yeah. I needed OCs but too many can kill me so I just used existing characters. XD Glad you liked it! And yes, Atobe will see hell.** (ch24) **And they would? haha. They will and he would make them run laps. XDD The Shinji thing is a kind of sneak-peak for my first yaoi pairing. AhahahThanks for the reviews~

**Big Sis of 8- **A kind of stalker that is kind of flattering, you will be. Ahahah. I'll try harder to update faster now, though, so you don't need to!XD Thx for the review~**  
><strong>

**Guest [8/11/12]- (Ch3) **Ahahaha. I'm glad you liked them, then! And I sure do hope you reached this chap. haha. Thx for the comment. ;D

**FrancoiseLaraLapis- **Indeed! Haha. It's lovely to get a boyfriend like that, ne? Thx for the review~**  
><strong>

**TunaForDesert- (Ch17) **Ahaha. I am? That's awesome! XDD Thanks for the comment~!**  
><strong>

**Clarice- **Thanks for the comment! Here it is! Sorry it was so late! T_T**  
><strong>

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading!<p>

I really really love reading your feedback! ;D


	26. Turbulence

**Thank you for reading this far! I especially want to thank those who gave me a little more of their time and told me what they thought. :D They truly do help me as a writer, whatever kind of comment they are. :D I hope my chapters get many reviews like that of chap 25 so quickly. It would get anyone so motivated. XD  
><strong>

**WARNING: A little dramatic. Sorry. =.=**

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own PoT.**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXVI: Turbulence<strong>

SCHOOL GATES, AFTER CLASSES

It was another Friday before the tournaments. Which meant… free day!

Two girls seemed particularly excited about it. And Ryoma was not one of them. She looked at her two companions who were definitely in Lala-land.

"What's with them?" Ryoma asked Kumi as they walked towards the gates.

"Dates." She responded immediately, the two blushed as they heard the word that pulled them out of their trances.

"Kumi-chan!" Kuroro exclaimed embarrassedly.

"What about you, Ryoma-chan? No date today?" Sakuno intervened slyly, Kuroro grinned, and Ryoma blushed. The three girls know of their relationship since there was no actual reason in keeping it from them. In fact, she was willing to tell the other regulars now since the people whom they didn't want to know were unfortunately the_ first_ to find out (*cough* Fuji *cough* Inui).

"No." She just replied nonchalantly after composing herself from the unexpected question.

"I suppose so. You _were_ just together last night." She teased making the other three blush furiously.

"You were?!" Kuroro vehemently whispered.

"Yeah."

"Waaaa~"

"Where?"

"At my house." She stated making Kuroro gape at her. Ludwig just shook his head.

"What?"

"Aren't you a bit too young?"

"Why?" She questions not knowing what she's talking about. Kuroro turned into a tomato before stuttering.

"I m-mean a... You know—"

"What?" She asked again. Sakuno tilted her head, not knowing why the girl looked so frantic. Kuroro noticed this and thought that she must have misunderstood.

"What'd you do?" She asked making Ryoma blink at the sudden question.

"They played tennis, Kuroro-san." Sakuno, who just what the girl assumed, giggled.

"Ah…"

**...**

SOMEWHERE IN TOKYO

The three decided to hang out for a bit because Sakuno's date was delayed to about the same time as Kuroro's.

"Where did he say he was?" Ryoma asked, curious about the text.

"He said he had something to take care of first, he said it won't take long." Sakuno replied, trying to hide the slight disappointment she felt of the delay. The other two girls quickly rummaged their heads for something to distract the brunette. It was Kuroro who recalled that her protegé was telling her something about her racket.

"Ah. Can you take us to that tennis store where you can adjust rackets? Kumi's rackets need it."

And with that, the girls went off to the specialized store.

* * *

><p>An hour had passed since they left school and they found themselves right in front of the General hospital. There were a lot of people around, but with Ryoma's eyesight and enhanced senses (especially when it came to Tezuka) there was no problem spotting a few familiar figures.<p>

There they were, Tezuka and Oishi, walking towards to door of the hospital. Ryoma blinked, Tezuka must be going there for a check-up... and she was not planning to miss it.

She looked at her companions and then turned her gaze back at her boyfriend and the fukubuchou. She recalled that she wouldn't be able to visit Seichi the next day due to the tournaments, so might as well go there today. And she would bring _everyone_ with her.

She smiled internally. Surprise visit with surprise guests.

'_Seichi will be so stunned.'_ She mused. Other than she, Keigo, and their families she did not know much about Seichi's other visitors.

"Ryoma-chan?" Kuroro called, noticing her daze. She stared at her and smirked.

"Ah. Mind visiting a friend with me?"

**...**

She asked them to sit on the hospital chairs while she checked for something. She knew that Tezuka and Oishi should be at the same room, so she went there. She was about to knock, after fully composing herself to be as stoic as possible just in case, when-

"You had a hard fight, didn't you?" The doctor asked, she could swear he had an eyebrow raised.

"Aa..."

"It was uncle, but it didn't take too long. It was only a one-set game… But he used his drop shot…" Oishi added.

"You used the Zero-shiki drop shot?!" The doctor asked semi-fretfully.

"Is my arm alright, sensei?"

"Didn't I tell you never to use it until your arm is _fully_ healed?!" The old man replied, instead.

"Sensei-"

It was all that she heard. Her hearing stopped afterwards. Seemed like her facade dropped immediately after. She froze at her spot, not knowing what to think.

_Trust me, Reina._

Just how many times did he say that? How many times did he lie? She didn't want to know.

But this was the Tezuka Kunimitsu. He would never l-lie to her just for the sake of lying. There was a good reason behind his actions- there always were.

She _knew _this. No- She **understood **this.

But that wave of anxiety, disappointment, sadness, and who-knew-what-else came nevertheless. Why couldn't she just calm down and approach him directly, like she normally would?

She shuddered.

She was scared.

And with that, she did something she would never have done: She stepped back... and ran away.

**...**

"Reina? What's wrong?" Sakuno asked anxiously, while the other two girls stared. Ludwig looked at where she came from and formulated his assumptions. And yes, his six-year-old mind could be quite accurate.

Reina stared at Sakuno. "I have to go... somewhere… Gomen."She managed to utter, masking her shaken state well. "Can you take Ludwig home?"

"What happened?"

"Nothing. I just have to go." She stated as she closed her eyes and walked swiftly outside after opening them.

"Reina!" Sakuno called again, only to be ignored. She unconsciously put her hand on her chest.

'_What is this bad feeling?'_

* * *

><p>Tezuka Kunimitsu noticed her presence at the door but decided to shake it off. He thought it was just his imagination, since he always saw her image everywhere he went, hoping that she was actually there. And yet, he did not get why he would hope she was there when all that would be happening was her hearing how many times he lied to her.<p>

So maybe he wasn't imaging things.

And with that thought- his eyes widened.

"Tezuka-kun?" the doctor asked, perplexed at his sudden show of emotions.

"Excuse me for a second." He stated and ran to open the door. No one was there. He sighed. It was _supposed_ to be relief...

But why won't all these anxiety go away?

* * *

><p>Echizen Reina walked aimlessly around trying to look for somewhere to be alone.<p>

She was _hurt_, and not in the same degree as before. She was no longer just disappointed that Tezuka hid important things from her. She was angry at him. He _lied_ to her so straight-forwardly so many times. The type of connection she _thought_ they had was boundless… to the point that they no longer needed to lie anymore.

Was it all in her head?

Was Tezuka telling the truth all those times she thought he had?

She shook her head. She didn't want to think about all of this anymore. But they just kept coming. The more she tried to deny them, the stronger they came.

_Damned emotions._ And she was sure that emotionally sensitive tendency kids her age naturally got had little to do with it. She _was_ Echizen Ryoma, after all.

It all came down to her feelings for Tezuka. '_Darn it-' _she gritted her teeth, effectively making a couple beside her cringe and swiftly walked away. _'If falling in love was _this_ troublesome...'_

_'She better fall in love once and_ only_ once.'  
><em>

It wasn't much of a problem, though. She couldn't imagine herself liking any other guy that wasn't Tezuka in that way...

Which** inevitably** went back to the topic of him lying to her dozens of time that day!

_'**SHIKUSO**'_

She wanted to shout out loud. She seriously did- badly. She didn't care if all these people could see her.

And in fact, she really was about to when–

"Echizen-chan?" A familiar voice called anxiously. It was Fuji. His eyes immediately widened at the sight of her expression.

"W-What happened?" He asked. She didn't answer and just tilted her head and hat downwards in an attempt to hide her face. Fuji did not know what happened, but he could certainly induce who caused it. He tried to contain his anger and decided to try to make her feel better.

A moment of silence passed and Echizen, for the first time, truly felt awkward inside it. It was broken when Fuji held her head.

"Saa…Echizen," He smiled. "Shall I treat you to an all-you-can-eat dessert shop?"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, back at the hospital, Tezuka could no longer hide all the nervousness he was feeling when he saw Ludwig right outside of the hospital.<p>

"Ara? What are you guys doing here?" Oishi asked his girlfriend who was looking alternatively at Ludwig and the captain.

"Ryoma took us here… but when she went to check somewhere she suddenly said she had something else to do and walked away." Sakuno stated worriedly. Tezuka went stiff and Ludwig's eyes twitched.

"She hates you now, you know." Ludwig said out-of-nowhere. Tezuka was now stiffer than the electric phone beside them.

"Where did she go?" He asked the boy agitatedly surprising everyone around. The boy's façade did not change.

"Knowing her? I have no idea."

* * *

><p>Fuji and Ryoma were walking casually to the temple after eating those huge servings of ice cream and fruits. They were having a relatively relaxing chat when she suddenly froze when she was looking at him. She looked shocked and scared, for reasons he was eager to know.<p>

He touched his face to see if there was anything in it, but to his surprise, Ryoma mechanically turned to where they came from and walked back. He was about to follow her when he felt a quick figure go past him.

It was their Captain. He ran to her and hugged Reina from the back as soon as he could reach her.

Fuji felt anger surge through him. Reina could _feel_ that Tezuka was there even without looking. They were linked so deeply already… so how _dare_ he hurt her?

His mind went blank.

And he pushed Tezuka away.

**...**

She didn't know how to react. Tezuka had lost his balance when Fuji pushed him and was now on the floor, while Fuji looked so angry and in a position to fight.

"W-What are you doing, Fuji-senpai!?" She yelled as soon as she caught herself, only to be ignored. The tensai looked seriously at Tezuka and muttered,

"Remember what I told you right here, on the same place, all those weeks ago?" He asked just before turning to her direction, making Tezuka's eye widen in fear. Reina flinched at the sight of Tezuka's panicking state. She saw that he immediately stood up, but he was too late.

The next thing they knew, Fuji already locked lips with her.

**...**

Everything happened too quickly.

Reina was shocked, and that was a huge understatement. She could not move for an instant but immediately pushed him away as soon as she could. Fuji showed his cerulean eyes and looked straight at her golden ones.

"I said I'm your friend, Reina. But I never denied I had feelings for you." He stated making her freeze all over again.

She had been hurting Fuji all this time? A huge lump on her chest appeared, and then she involuntarily looked at her boyfriend pain-stricken face.

That sight pushed her beyond her borders.

She felt confusion, sadness, self-hate, and pain -to herself- all at the same time. The cool façade she developed all but disappeared. She could no longer control herself.

First she ran away, and now... what?

_Just how weak was she becoming_?

And yet, despite knowing this... her body had a will of its own.

She cried.

**...**

Tezuka and Fuji never saw this coming. Not only could they not imagine that she could cry, but the effect of its sight to their sanity was so much more than they could have imagined. Neither of them could move. Incessant tears, that she was so desperately trying to stop, kept coming out from her beautiful eyes.

"Reina…" Fuji managed to utter. Reina couldn't stop. She did not want anyone to see her like this. She exhaled deeply in an attempt to calm herself down.

"I want to be alone. Please leave." She squeaked at the two of them as she tried to wipe her eyes which were still flooding. Tezuka gestured to touch her but she slapped his hand away. That gesture made him want to cry with her. Reina saw his expression and was going to apologize when she felt a new wave of tears lining up.

She instinctively sprinted back home, leaving two utterly desolated boys behind.

* * *

><p><span>ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD<span>

Reina stood in front of their house for a while as she tried to erase any traces of her crying.

She breathed deeply and opened the door only to find the she was _not_ going to be left alone, after all.

"Oi, Commoner! What's took you so long!? Ore-sama got tired of waiting!" A familiar voice shouted as it heard hers. She frowned; she was not in the mood to speak with _anyone_. The boy stared at her the moment he saw her and she reflexively gave him her strongest glare.

And thus, Atobe Keigo became a statue more beautiful than David himself.

**...**

"What happened to him?" Ryoga asked his mother who seemed to have witnessed the whole thing. He was eyeing Keigo's frozen figure.

"First time Reina glared at him like that." She responded as-a-matter-of-factly. Ryoga sighed in sympathy and patted him in the back, getting him to flinch.

"I-I think she was c-crying…" he muttered, partly thankful that he wasn't there when she was sobbing.

"I know. She hid it well, though…" Rinko whispered. Ryoga's eye widened.

"W-WHAT?! WH-" Ryoga's yelling spree was stopped by her mother silencing him. She sighed, but at least her husband wasn't here.

"I don't think she'd want to talk to anyone right now. It's best to leave her alone. So be quiet." Rinko stated authoritavely at the two boys who reluctantly agreed. Rinko looked at Keigo to see if he was going home since he wouldn't be able to speak with her now, anyway.

"Can I stay…? I can't go home without knowing what's troubling her." He asked her anxiously. He was too worried to be his usual haughty self. Rinko nodded.

"Suit yourself."

...

A few hours passed and still no sign of Reina wanting to get out of her room. Rinko stared at the stairs worriedly.

"She needs to eat."

Keigo followed her line of sight. "Can I bring her dinner to her room?"

Rinko raised a brow. "You want to talk to her?" She asked sceptically, she could never imagine the two arrogant children having a heart-to-heart. Keigo knew this, of course, but he did not falter.

"I want to try."

Rinko blinked at his seriousness and sighed. "Very well. Just don't confuse her by confessing you feelings or something."

His face turned crimson. Rinko gasped.

"OI! You _can't _do that, Keigo."

"Why not?! I can wait for her to develop feelings for me. Or is it that you don't want Ore-sama for your daughter?'

"It's not that- It's because… she's already in love with someone else." She muttered and peeked at his reaction. His eyes widened. He assumed as much, but actually _hearing_ its truth head-on gave him much more pain than he imagined. He breathed deeply, there was a limit on how much he could show.

"…It's Tezuka, isn't it?" He mumbled without moving. Rinko winced.

"You sound as if you know him."

"I do. He's my greatest rival in tennis." He smiled satirically at himself. "Guess not only there, then."

"Keigo-" She called, not wanting him to tell her his feelings.

"Don't worry, Rinko-san. I won't burden her with my feelings, not when she's like this." He huffed and Rinko gratifyingly patted his head.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Keigo put her tray on her table as he watched her blanketed figure lie unmoving on her bed. Karupin lay with her unmoving himself. The cat turned at the sound of his entering. He expected the cat to hiss at him, but to his surprise it just stared.<p>

Karupin and he never got along. Sure, he was the one who started their little feud but like hell he'd admit that.

He shifted his gaze back to the girl.

"Reina? Dinner's ready." He said serenely without looking away. She stirred by a bit but didn't move any further. He sighed and sat on her bedside. He felt her under the blanket and found out that she was unmoving.

"Are you still alive?" he asked, masking his worry quite well. Again, she did not say anything. "Oi. Commoner. I'll take those mangas out of this room if you don't answer me."

"Leave me alone, Monkey King." She said coldly, still under the protection of her blanket. There was a shakiness in her voice that disconcerted him so much that he wanted to just pull that blasted blanket out of the way.

"OI. Are you crying?" He asked trying to sound sarcastic and Reina flinched, quickly turning to him.

"As if." She said. And his eyes widened at the sigh. It was true that there were no tears- but she was _definitely_ crying.

She frowned at him. "What's with that idiotic look full of pity? It's annoying."

"Oh, you're crying alright."

"I am not!"

"Must be because of a guy. Pfft- who would've thought you could be so sappy." He was planning on annoying her, really. Making her forget her problems by bantering with him. So he was surprised when had ran out of insults so quickly.

She was just staring at him- looking quite... pained.

_'Kami. What had I done for you take present me such temptations?'_ He wasn't even allowed to confess to her, now he was trying his best not to embrace her right then and there.

He needed to be as haughty as possible. Otherwise _he_ would get all sappy.

"Ora? You're offended by Ore-sama's words? You must like me a lot." _Ouch_.

"Urusai. I-" She paused. She really had no insults lined-up anymore, huh? His eyes narrowed when she looked away.

"Why do people like each other in a romantic way, anyway?"

"Well, duh, otherwise our specie would cease to exist."

She glared at him for looking at her like she was stupid. Well, her question wasn't exactly the smart now was it? "I mean with me."

"Why would anyone fall in love with me?" She was saying these things as if she was throwing them now. Like everything was directed at her and all those invisible forces in the universe who seemed to have a knack on making her life complicated.

And yes, she was ranting. Stimulated by no other than his provocations.

"D-Did I do anything to make them like me like that?" She finally paused, not looking at Atobe. "I'm not even supposed to be likable- damn it."

Atobe did not move nor utter a word.

It was then that she suddenly slowed down, slowly showing that she knew he was there after all.

"I just wanted to be friends… I just needed one person to think of me that way… but I didn't want to impose on _him_ either… A-Am I doing anyth-ing wrong?"

'_No, Reina. You're just being yourself.'_ He replied with his mind, but he couldn't tell that to her knowing how she'd react. She'd wear her stoic façade tighter than ever.

"It's not your fault, Reina. It's _theirs_ for being so weak-hearted." He just replied. Reina looked at him incredulously, not knowing what to feel about his statement. Keigo suddenly felt his heart ache like hell at what he was about to say.

"_Ore-sama_ would never fall for you. So you better eat." He stated, as if the two statements followed each other. But she nodded in agreement, stared at the food, and went to eat it anyway.

* * *

><p>He took her tray after eating. He told her to get ready for bed while he took the apparatus downstairs. She followed lazily and said her thanks. Keigo smiled as haughtily as he could.<p>

"Of course! Ore-sama is such a great person, no?"

Reina chuckled making his chest explode.

"Hai, hai."

**...**

"That was a pretty martyr move of yours, Keigo." Rinko commented, she was outside her daughter's room the whole time. The boy just smiled sorrowfully at his godmother.

"Anything for her."

**...**

After a few minutes he went back to the outside of her room and knocked.

"Come in." She said and he did so. She was already lying on her bed, ready to sleep. She smiled at him.

"Going to see me to sleep, Monkey King?" She muttered lazily. He smirked.

"Ore-sama is curious how commoners sleep."

"This is the first time, huh?" She asked him, and he nodded. When they were children someone always watched her sleep. Seichi, Ryoga, or one of her parents… but never Keigo.

He pulled a chair near her bed and sat there. She turned to face him and grinned.

"Oyasumi, Monkey King."

He sneered.

"Oyasumi, annoying commoner."

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER XXVI**

**Coming soon:**

**CHAPTER XXVII: Reconciliations  
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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<br>**

**hprareslashfan- **lol. Well, some of your guesses with the title is correct. XD Good work! haha. And thanks for the review~**  
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**Lady Syndra- **Hehe. Although it was on Oishi's eyes. i kinda imagined him still being preserved when saying those words. haha. Thx for the comment!**  
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**think-pink-jess - **Banzaii! Hehehee. I'm glad and thanks for the comment~! XDD**  
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**Blueberryxn- T**hanks for the review~! And I do hope this chapter wasn't too.. dramatic. Do warn me, though! haha**  
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**Frostfire613- **lol. And we go back to why the PILLAR PAIR RULES. XDD And thanks. Tezuka wasn't really 'showing' that he was flirting. Oishi was being the sensitive mother hen. Ahaha. Thanks for the review~**  
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**animelover4ever69-** Mah, don't be too harsh on the monkey king. XD And yes, he probably will. Hehe. Thx for the comment!**  
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**MintLeafeon- **Madness, indeed! Hahaha. And who knows how they'll react. XD I can tell you it wouldn't be _that_ much of an issue though. lol. Thanks for the review~**  
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**mysweetcat- **It...is? *Blushes* And I'm glad that you thought so, too! hehehe. And here's the next chap barely a week after the last one. Haha. And thank you for the review~! ^^**  
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**DawnStarLight- **Ha. Ha. HA! He did, didn't he? XDDDD Thanks for the comment~

**Kaluin- **Yay for Sakuno! haha. And naaw, those two finding out about the pillar pair wouldn't be much of an issue. And Atobe was more sensitive since Yukimura's still busy recovering. And you're right! the personality thing is one of my biggest problems. XD I usually use Reina when she's dressed like Reina or when she was cross-dressing but went all fluttery like a girl. The latter's pretty rare though. I hope. haha. And finally- Thank you for the review~! I'm happy that you thought so. :D**  
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**FrancoiseLaraLapis- **Yep. I needed a little conflict and drama for a change and it was the best I could come up with. Haha. Thanks for the comment~!**  
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**rfijblue- **hehehe. Atobe's so cute, ne? And I will not say anything about Food and Tezuka. Fufufu~ XDD Thank you for the review! C:)**  
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**Shadowhawk- **Oh yeah! I saw the screenshot of that. (haven't watched the new series yet) I was blushing the whole time. XD And no, don't worry. Atobe will be a nice guy. Relatively. Hahahaa. Thanks for the review~**  
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**Clarice- **lol. I agree! haha. But I actually imagine her more her age when she does that. XD Thanks for the comment. (:D**  
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**Natasya Ivashkov- **Aw. Why am I feeling you said that by experience? ;D Thanks for the comment! I'll try and send it to Atobe. Hehe**  
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**Big Sis of 8- **Here it is~! hehe. A week since the last one, ne? *so proud* Hope it still made your day despite the drama. XD Ah. Thax for the comment, btw. ^^**  
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**hinataechizen18-** Hehe. Voila! The next chap is here. ^^ Hope it wasn't disappointing and Thanks for the review~! XD**  
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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>Thank you for your time. :D<br>**

**Ano... I have to say that the nicest thing you can do for me is tell me what you thought! haha. So feedback will be deeply appreciated. Checking those nice little check boxes would be awesome, too! Thanks in advanced~ XD  
><strong>


	27. Reconciliation

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

**WARNING! **Reina the cry baby. Yeah, yeah i know. I dislike these genderbended girls crying so much, too, but I dunno... considering the current situation, well... I couldn't _not_ make her cry a bit. Gomen nasai...

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XVII: Reconciliations?<strong>

It was already the start of the prefectural tournaments yet every one of the supposedly-hyperactive Seigaku tennis club members could feel the negative tension that was surrounding their best players.

Fuji was in an uncharacteristic daze, Tezuka gave laps for the smallest transgressions, and Ryoma...? She was yet to be found.

Tezuka frowned. He went to her house earlier that day in case she didn't ask Momoshiro to accompany her since he and Reina had a fight. She left her phone at home, as well. So when he saw Momo without _anyone_ and looking for no one, he felt a twinge of worry.

"Has anyone seen Ryoma?" He asked everyone, hoping someone could relieve the uncertainties. Only 5 minutes left until the deadline and she was nowhere in sight.

"Oh maaan! Where are you O'chibi~!?" Eiji yelled at the sky hoping it will reach the missing girl. Oishi was surprised and nagged his partner.

"Eiji!"

"Gomen, Oishi. But O'chibi– Nya~ "

"Let's just hope she'll get here before the game, okay? No need to disturb passerbys." Oishi said reassuringly and Eiji just nodded slightly.

"So what are we going to do, now?" Momo asked as he stared at the clock which was _not_ stopping, even with their threatening stares.

"She's not answering her phone…" Kuroro said as she held her phone up.

"Oh dear…" Sakuno whispered. Then, Momo had a Eureka moment.

"What if we settle with a 'substitute' until she comes…?" He grinned, and was followed by Inui and Eiji a moment later. They all twisted their head towards Horio's direction.

The freshman cringed.

And the three suddenly wore very evil smirks.

**...**

Ryoma arrived at the tennis courts just in time before Horio got pummeled by someone from another school. Fortunately for Horio, she was in the mood to beat someone up so she immediately saved him from the brute. A few minutes later, the brute was sweating buckets and was in need of psychological help.

She coolly left the courts and went straight to the other freshmen who was staring at her with a mix of annoyance and disbelief. Particularly from Sakuno.

"Mou, where have you been Reina? The official games will start in 10 minutes!"

"Here and there." She replied stoically. She actually went around for a walk in a park and hit a few tennis balls against the wall several hours prior to the games in an attempt to compose herself. In fairness, it had not been 24 hours since the 'situation' she had with Tezuka and Fuji roused. Tennis was the best choice if she wanted to remain sane.

And unsurprisingly, she left early but was late thanks to her malfunctioning sense-of-direction.

Sakuno led her to the others, and Ryoma grew tense every single step. She immediately shook her head, and went back to her apathetic façade. Sakuno noticed her momentary shift in expression and went closer to her to grab her arm. Tomo squeaked at the gesture but they just ignored her. She did not want the other freshmen behind them to hear their conversation.

"What happened yesterday?" She whispered worriedly and Reina made a sad face.

"Tezuka and I had a fight… Fuji-senpai made it more awkward."

"I see…" She replied coolly consequently making Reina raise a brow.

"You… don't seem surprised."

"It was pretty obvious to someone who likes watching over you, Reina."

"…"

"It's not your fault you know."

"I guess… Keigo did tell me the same thing last night…"

"Keigo? He was with you?" Sakuno asked rather vehemently but managed to keep her voice down. She never met Atobe or Yukimura before, but she heard a lot about them from Reina and Rinko. She knew that she and Atobe were not particularly sweet but Rinko once made a little… slip-up about his feelings.

She frowned_, _cursing the gods for making Reina's life so complicated.

"Yeah." Ryoma answered her question nonchalantly, now back to her cool façade. Sakuno noted from her reaction that Atobe did not do anything to get her even more confused, and for that she was thankful.

"Let's hurry, we have less than 10 minutes before the game starts." She stated, ignoring Ryoma's obvious reluctance to see anyone with the name of Tezuka and Fuji. Ryoma walked way slower than normal and Sakuno's eye twitched.

"Ryoma!" She shouted for her to walk faster. Ryoma winced and did what she was told.

Her pace increased… by, like, 5%.

"Hai…"

**...**

Tezuka Kunimitsu felt a surge of relief when he saw her. He felt his expression change but immediately controlled it before anyone could see. He saw that Reina did the same thing. And so they stared at each other for a moment before he could get the strength to speak.

"50 laps around the courts after the games." He stated sternly. Ryoma nodded stoically.

"Hai."

**...**

Fuji's eyes met hers and, the awkwardness proving harder to deal with, avoided it immediately. Every time he saw her face, or even just thinking about it, made him remember (_too_ clearly) what he did.

It seemed like all the pent-up emotions had finally taken its toll on his sanity.

But there was no use regretting what he did, now was there? He meant what he said, anyway, it was just that he said it on a very bad time.

Once again, he mustered up the courage and shifted his head to look at her. A wave of relief hit him when he found she wasn't looking back.

It was then that he turned his head again, sensing she would look back at him soon.

And she did, as Tezuka conveniently noticed.

And the three of them decided to just stare at the ground.

But they didn't notice they were doing the exact same thing.

**...  
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Ryuzaki Sakuno stared alternatively at Seigaku's big three throughout the games. They all pretended as if nothing emotionally perturbing happened to them, and they did so well. If she didn't know Reina and the young men's feelings for her, she never would've noticed the stolen glances full of emotions thrown from time to time.

She felt a surge of pity every time she saw them. Life should be simple and happy, not like this. They certainly deserved that. If only one could control all the emotions masterfully than no one had to be in so much pain.

Then her gaze shifted at her boyfriend who was actually having a harder-than-expected time against an unknown school and blushed. She could not have imagined falling for anyone else, and she definitely did not want to convince herself not to love him.

She could say that because _her_ love life wasn't as intricate as Reina's. But still…

* * *

><p>"Game and Match! Seigaku Oishi-Kikumaru pair! 6-love!" The umpire stated the much predicted score. But no one –especially the regulars- could've known they would take so much time in beating such a supposedly-easy school. Inui noted that they all targeted their weaknesses.<p>

Two games later, the score was the same. Not a single point from the opponent, but the Seigaku regulars were sweating buckets.

Ryoma caught Inui walk towards a side of the court where a black-haired guy with a necktie was standing confidently. They spoke for a while and she saw Inui frown. She grimaced at the guy.

'_So this is _his_ doing.'_

**...**

They went against the mysterious black-haired guy's team 2 hours later.

He was the manager-slash-regular of St. Rudolf. Not that Ryoma had heard of it before...

In any case, she shifted her gaze back to her team's side on the court. They sure got an interesting pair for Doubles 2.

The pair was comprised of Kaidoh and Momo, which surprised many. They never agreed with each other but apparently, since they were rivals, they knew each other went against a short-headed boy with a red headband and a very loud guy with a kitsch hairstyle.

After several minutes of a good and impressive game, Seigaku finally won- by default. Momoshiro's dunk sort of rendered the noisy guy unconscious.

They _were_ doing really well prior anyway so no one really minded– except for the two, of course.

"It didn't feel like a win. This is all your fault AHO." Kaidoh mumbled irritably as he stomped out of the courts.

"I-I-Urusai!" Momo incoherently replied. He was still in shock as to what happened. There was nothing honorable with making your opponent faint.

"Saa… Momo, Kaidoh, a win's a win." Fuji commented making the two blink. This was the first time the tensai really 'talked' that day. And so they just nodded in agreement, and kept quiet.

The next match was lost to the opponent, though. They took advantage of Eiji's weakness well. They even put his strengths (namely, eyesight and flexibility) to _their_ advantage by making him run all around and take shots that would strain a person's eyes. And with Eiji's sight, the effect the shot had increased by folds.

They put up a great performance, though, and it was obvious that it bothered that black-haired bastard. The golden duo apparently went way above his expectations.

After a short, tension-filled, break, singles 3 finally commenced. A match of left-handers: Echizen Ryoma and Fuji Yuuta.

Upon settling down inside the courts, they went to the net and shook hands. At the contact of their appendages, Ryoma stared at her opponent. The boy flinched under her scrutinizing gaze.

Reina was actually ignoring the fact that he was a Fuji, what bothered her was his incessantly frowning face. She didn't really take much notice of him, but she was pretty he was frowning the whole day.

Hence she was not sure if he was in the state to give her a good knew she _needed _ a good game at the moment.

But at the same time, she wasn't exactly emotionally stable at the moment, so she decided to just 'wing' it.

"Ei. Is that ugly expression pasted on your face?" She mocked coolly making him in anger. She heard Momo and Eiji laugh out loud from afar but ignored them. The boy didn't say anything either even after he returned to the side of the courts and served with power. Ryoma's eye widened slightly. She was already using her left hand, and she could barely hit his shots back. Fighting a fellow south paw was much more trouble than she had anticipated.

As the game progressed she heard murmurs from around.

"That's the tensai's younger brother, right? He's not bad!"

"Tell me about it. Being Fuji Syusuke's younger brother sure does have its advantages."

And a few more similar lines floated around. She looked at her opponent who apparently was her senpai's younger brother. She saw his eye twitch at the statements. She smirked; he must have disliked being called that sadist-wanabee's younger brother.

Ryoma wondered if he was one of those people who played better the angrier they got.

"Eehhh. You're Fuji-senpai's younger brother…? I wonder who's better…" She satirically commented getting the boy to fume.

"That's just like Echizen!" Momo yelled amused and many of his companions laughed with him.

Her opponent gritted his teeth in reply and hit an even more powerful shot. She smiled internally and got a bit more serious at the game consequently turning the game around.

But it seemed that he had more things up his sleeve. He called it the 'Twist spin shot'.

She noticed immediately that this would cause quite some tension to his shoulders and would cause great damage if he used it too didn't want to risk it. Besides, this boy had a friend's blood- considering they _were_ still friends.

Nevertheless, she did not want the fate of not being able to play anymore on anyone.

So she thought.

_Pak!_

And thought.

_Slam!_

And thought...

_BAM!  
><em>

But she knew that he wouldn't listen to her if she told him directly. Considering her haughty predisposition the chances of _anyone_ actually listening to her regarding such things was next to zero.

So she begrudgingly decided to show one of the sealed techniques she developed with Seichi:

Drive B.

Fuji Yuuta went into that position again and, as always, made an supposedly-impeccable shot. The glint on Ryoma's eyes changed and she slid down the courts, adding the momentum to the ball coming right at her.

**_BAM!_**

"Wha-" The younger Fuji exclaimed in surprise. He quicklu composed himself and did the same shot over and over again.

He was not going to lose.

And yet all of his shots were returned by the same techniques.

Yuuta glared at the now-static ball in his side of court and proceeded to glare at his opponent. Echizen was already pointing his racket at him so pompously that Yuuta could swear a few more veins popped inside his already-hot head.

"I've sealed it already," Echizen said, unmoving. "No use increasing the damage building up on your arm due to that technique of yours."

Something froze in his head and he found his eyes widened before he could stop it.

"Who taught you that?"

His eyes only twitched and he frowned.

"None of your business."

**...**

"Game and Match, Echizen! 6-4!"

A huge amount of cheers and squeals exploded around the court. While she got soft pats on the back courtesy of the regulars – save for Tezuka and Fuji.

It was Fuji's turn next and he just finished warming up. He walked slowly to the courts and walked towards Ryoma, who was approaching the team at the moment.

"I'm sorry for yesterday… and thank you for what you did to my brother." he whispered during the intersection.

"…what are friends for?" She smiled internally and added an afterthought, "I'm sorry for being dense, too, senpai."

"I'd ignore those statements for now."

"…" was the response he got and he smiled at her sadly.

"I can't lie anymore, you know that now…

"Now, if you'll excuse me I have some business to do." He mumbled sternly and Ryoma nodded in agreement. But before he completely passed her, she added an afterthought.

"Make sure he regrets being born." She whispered getting him to smirk.

"I'm planning to."

Ryoma was going to turn to her other teammates when she saw something weird on his cheeks. It was barely visible but with her eyesight she saw it. A part of his skin had a slightly different texture than the others. A flash of her mother's items popped out.

'_Is that _make-up?_'_

**...**

And make Mizuki regret that he ever lived, Fuji did indeed. He lost 5 games on purpose, making the analyst believe his precious data was correct to the tenths. But as Mizuki's confidence was at its peak, Fuji then tortured him by proving all his data was literally trash and he was just playing around with him. Mizuki didn't get a single point afterwards.

"Game and Match! Fuji! 7 games to 5!"

_Huff_

_Huff  
><em>

Mizuki was now crouching down due to fatigue and shock. He looked up at Fuji who was wearing an impassive expression but his eyes wide open and full of anger. He cursed and punched the dirt in annoyance. Fuji thought that he truly looked pitiful, especially for such a proud man.

But the tensai felt no pity.

So before, turning away, he looked at his enemy one last time.

"You deserve so much worse."

**...**

Fuji Yuuta stared at his brother and his mentor. He couldn't believe that Mizuki would sacrifice anything– including his arm – to win. Echizen and his brother made sure everyone knew that.

His eyes then focused on his brother. He recalled all those childhood memories where he was playing with his brother and the countless times he was protected by him. He loved his brother but he hated being compared to him... especially being defined with his name. It was the reason he was in such a bad mood – he thought that he'd finally be able to face his brother and get a chance to surpass him.

But he lost to his brother's _kouhai,_ and now he just witnessed his mentor get pummeled by his brother_. _

_His brother…_

It was so rare to see him so mad, and he usually wasn't easy to calm down. He saw that he was already mad when he and his Kouhai were still playing, but now that he recalled, he calmed down momentarily during the time he and his kouhai talked.

He shifted his gaze towards the popular raven-haired freshman. His brother was right when he said Echizen was not a push-over, he couldn't help but be surprised how much strength and skill such a small boy could have. And it was an odd sight to see his brother give such a soft expression to anyone – even before he was known as a 'sadist'.

He sighed.

He knew it was his fault that his brother changed, and he realized that even during these moments when he openly showed his dislike for him, his brother _still _protected him. It wasn't fair… It wasn't his brother's fault that he was so good at pretty much everything.

He watched his brother walk towards his teammate to receive their congratulations. His eyes widened when he saw his brother look at the boy with an even softer expression than before. He was surprised, to say the least, for he had never seen him look like that.

_'Well'_ he mused, a _lot _of rumors _had_ been spreading about his brother's sexual orientation lately- he shook his head of the thoughts immediately. he would rather not go to where that line of thinking would lead him to.

But then... before actually seeing them together, Yuuta would never believed what he heard-– he even convinced Mizuki (who seemed to be planning something he didn't want to know) that his brother was_ straight_.

His brother was definitely straight. Right...?

It must just be because his brother was... very fond of the boy.

Then, a flash of the boy's smug face appeared out-of-nowhere, and Yuuta shivered.

Nonono

'_There is** no **_**way** _anyone could be _**fond**_ of _**him**_. '_

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><p>Several minutes after the games, Echizen Ryoma passively thought that it was time for the laps. So after she congratulated her senpai, she went ahead and ran lap. She looked at Tezuka and he nodded. He and the coach still had a few more paperwork to pass which meant that Tezuka was the one who was going to walk her home.<p>

She gulped involuntarily. How the heck was she going to face him?

Everything that happened the previous day flashed through her head making her run faster around the courts, her heart beating faster and faster not from fatigue but from nervousness.

He lied to her, so what did he get? Fuji kissing her in front of him?

Her eyes widened in despair when she recalled his expression that time – he looked as if he wanted to cry. A needle of pain pricked her heart, she would also want to cry if some other girl did the same to Tezuka. She knew that he did not deserve to see such a sight – even when he lied to her. He _was _Tezuka Kunimitsu, he always had his reasons. But that _didn't_ mean she had completely forgiven him.

Right…?

She cursed herself for not being able to get mad at him as much as she wanted.

A few laps later, she saw the two Fujis walking together towards a somewhat secluded area in the park. She grinned and went to follow them to say Hi (for the sake of relieving the awkwardness, really), but she stopped herself the moment she realized that the two would want time for themselves. She slowly walked away, but heard a bit of their conversation, anyway.

"Aniki… I'm sorry for being such a jerk."

"It's not a problem, Yuuta. I know I'm at fault here as well, for not noticing immediately."

"But, Ani-"

"It's fine, Yuuta… Nee-san wants to see you, too, as soon as possible… You _will_ come home this weekend, right?"

"Ok…"

"I'm glad –"

"Aniki…?" Yuuta muttered before pausing for a second. "You'd stop pretending to be a sadist, right?"

"Saa… Let's just see about that. I actually found being a sadist quite fun." He replied making Ryoma scoff to herself.

That was the last line she heard, and she found herself smiling the whole time.

**...**

Ryoma continued her laps in peace, most of the people left already and she acted in a way that her fan girls wouldn't notice she was actually given laps.

She recalled the Fuji's conversation earlier.

'_So _that's_ why Fuji-senpai pretended to be a sadist… He was _punishing_ himself for being a 'bad' brother…' _She mused but then stopped her tracks at the realization of something.

'_But he wanted to continue punishing himself… so that makes him a Masochist…?'_

Her eyes widened. She immediately recalled all the pain and regret she felt when she thought her feelings for Tezuka was unrequited.

'_What would that mean for us?'_

Will he continue harbouring feelings for her because he _enjoyed_ the pain?

She could only slapp her face with her palm in misery.

...

'_Why is she looking like that?'_ Tezuka thought anxiously the moment he saw Reina looking miserable. She was still running her laps but she was wearing that expression he could only see as despair. He just arrived from the meeting with the coach and he was definitely nervous. But all the anxiety was blown away at the sight of his girlfriend's state.

_His girlfriend_. His chest constricted at the advent that he might no longer have the right to call her that. He had never been in a relationship before, thus he could never be sure when it was just going to be... broken off. He vehemently shook the thoughts away and decided to make sure she's alright first, before brooding in desolation.

He ran towards her as fast as he could, but she was in such a daze that she noticed a moment too late.

"Mitsu!" She exclaimed, looking visibly shocked. She saw random people stare at her in puzzlement causing her to blush in embarrassment. She quickly jogged towards a secluded space, and Tezuka followed.

...

He watched her sit on the grass a few meters from where he stood. She constantly avoided his gaze at first, but then soon enough she composed herself and showed a stoic façade.

Being alone with her rendered him unable to do the same.

"Reina… please listen to what I have to say." He practically implored causing Reina to flinch at his lack of equanimity. She did not say anything but just stared at him, signalling him to speak but with eyes telling him she was still mad at him.

"I'm sorry I lied to you, but if I didn't you would not have agreed to play."

"…"

"I wanted you to play your own style again, not just some copy of your father's."

"Why would you?" Reina asked satirically, even when her heart was pounding. She convinced herself not to forgive him so easily. But what he said next made sure she forgot that conviction as if she never even made it in the first place.

"You... seem happier with tennis when you play your own way." Reina's expression to soften considerably. She was going to open her mouth to speak when –

"I just wanted you to be happy, but I lied to you and I know you hate that… So I don't mind if you want to break-up with me." He added with his slowly-cracking monotone voice making her flare.

"What?" She almost growled.

Tezuka's eyes widened at her reaction, feeling an odd mixture of delight and horror. Delight because she didn't even consider breaking up with him, and horror because he _suggested_ that they should.

_Kami... why do you allow me keep making all of these foolish mistakes?_

"Reina, I-" He uttered as he heard his own heart shout in terror.

"That's enough, Tezuka_-buchou_. You say you want me to be happy? How could I be happy when I know that it's my fault that your tennis career might end?" She exclaimed vehemently, close to tears. She cursed herself for becoming such a cry baby.

"You're so- so _selfish_! Fine. If you want to so much maybe we _should b_-" She added. Tezuka could not move.

"B…"She repeated.

"B-" She voiced out again.

'_Say the word Reina! Damnit.'_ She thought, mentally slapping herself from uttering the hideous term. She tried to utter them over and over again but no sound seemed willing to come out.

And with the confusion, anger, despair, and everything else- most of which were still from the previous day- she soon felt tears line up behind her eyes.

Tezuka's eye widened at the realization that Reina might cry.

'_No-'_ He shouted internally, not wanting to see her in such a state anymore. The anguish he felt just a day before was unbearable, and he was not sure if he could take seeing it again.

So without thinking, he ran to her and put her into his arms. He hugged her so tightly that Reina would not have enough strength to resist.

"It's not fair… How could you say the word when_ I _can't?!" She muttered as her face rest on his shoulders. He so felt happy that moment to the point that he couldn't speak anymore. He had her in his arms again, and that she did not want to break-up with him, after all.

"It's not fair, you Ahou." She muttered, over and over again. He froze when he felt his shirt slowly getting wet. Reina was crying and he didn't know where to get the strength to look at her.

"It's just not _fair_. How could you make me feel this way without even trying?!" She sobbed. Tezuka flinched at the statement, it was _he _who fell in love first and he knew he loved her more than she loved him. It was not fair, indeed, but the bias was not necessarily on her side.

He let go of her and held her soaked cheeks. He winced at the sight of the tears but immediately berated himself for being so weak.

"Stop being so dense, Reina. I'm the one who was supposed to be saying that." He muttered making her eyes widen. Her eyebrows arched and was about to counter his 'fallacy' when Tezuka didn't let her do so.

He immediately threw his earlier resolution of not kissing her on the lips. As soon as he leaned over, an unexpected image of Fuji claiming what was his appeared and his mind urging him to want to make it completely his again. Reina did not resist and soon it turned into a series of kisses.

But fortunately, or unfortunately, something caught their attention before the gentle kisses turned a bit deeper.

_Crack_

It was the sound of a branch being stepped on… accompanied by a loud, and coarse, gasp.

They immediately whipped their heads to the source, making their eyes widen in surprise.

_Whoosh~_A strong wind went past them but neither of them, nor the newcomer, had the reflexes to even blink.

The intruder was no other than Fuji Yuuta…

And he looked as if a vampire just sucked all of his blood.

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER XXVII**

_**Coming soon:**_  
><strong>CHAPTER XXVIII: Stubborn<strong>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<br>**

**Frostfire613- **Yes... Yes, he is. Hahaha. Mah, they'll quickly work it out. I hope. Thanks for the comment!XD**  
><strong>

**Guest [10/2/12]- **Hai~ This is definitely a fast update (hahah) Hope y' liked it! Thx for the comment.**  
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**MintLeafeon- **Thanks for the review! I'm glad you thought so. I love Atobe and found him being sweet utterly adorable too~**  
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**Shadowhawk- **Hehe. Somehow ur review felt like a 'preview' of sorts. XD Thanks for the review! And yeah, I hope they wouldn't be seperated for long too. Depends on how the events will unfold, really. ;D**  
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**PurpleScorpion- **Here it is~ hehe. I did this as fast as I could. XD I couldn't bear with leaving it like that, either. lol. Thanks for the review. ^^**  
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**Natashya Ivashkov- **lol me too! There are tons of times I just forget about Ludwig. XDD And Thanks for the review, btw~!**  
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**Nekotan1999- **Yeah, so sad being in Atobe's position... T_T Hoping I'll come up with a happy ending for him. hehe. Thx for the comment~**  
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**FrancoiseLaraLapis- **Tehee. I like putting in moral lessons here and there. XD Glad y' liked it! And I will try to fix the issues quickly. ^^ Finally, thanks for the review! :D**  
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**Blueberryxn- **'It wasn't to dramatic' *continues* '...for now' loool. Hope this was light enough for you not to hurt yourself though. XD Thx for the review~**  
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**x3mimi- **Yay! Hehe. Glad you liked how I ended the chap and how I made Atobe's dialogues. I shall try to keep it up~XD Thx for the review~**  
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**Big Sis of 8- **I'm flattered I made ur day, and awesome bro you have there! Glad he's not like mine. lol. Here's another quick update. btw. kukuku~ And thx for the review!**  
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**animelover4ever69- **I agree. She needs a break. hehe. A lighter chapter, this one is, and hopefully she got her breather. XD Thanks for the review~**  
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**rjifblue-** Nope, they didn't know they were dating. Atobe just thinks it's a onesided crush or something. lol. And haha- I did not notice Fuji and Atobe were bribing her with food. XD Seriously! Oh, and thx for the review~

**DawnStarLight- **lol. He did screw up. hahaha. And yes, I missed Fuji too. XD Thanks for the comment~**  
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**Clarice-** lol no need to save ur reviews. I'll mention it somehow on my replies. Dunno why someone had to point it out before I do that though. XD Thanks for the comment~!**  
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**Nene-chan345- **Yay you read my other stories, too. XD I'll do my best to continue. ;D Hehe. Thanks for the review~**  
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**Sam- **Oh I will definitely continue working hard! XD And we love the same things, ne? Haha. Reverse Harems rule! Thanks for the review, btw. ;D

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><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Once again, thank you minna-san for reading this far!<br>**

**I hope to read your thoughts, opinions, critiques, rants, or other things you want to voice out! Haha  
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**Checking those lovely boxes would be so friggin' awesome, too!  
><strong>


	28. Stubborn

**Thanks guys for the support! :D I really really appreciate it. And seriously, I'm making the most out of my short vacation~! XD Hope it'll be enough to make up for my writing break a while back.  
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**And oh yeah, if you find the time I'd appreciate you dropping by my profile from time to time~ The links and announcements there may interest you. ;D  
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**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXVIII: Stubborn<strong>

_Tap_

_Tap_

_Skip_. A root escaped from its underground haven.

_Tap Tap Tap_

Fuji Yuuta was thinking about his brother's revelation some time ago... He was walking in a daze, and his legs taking him to who-knew-where.

He sighed, and reluctantly replayed a memory that roused different types of feelings inside his gut.

_It was just after he asked his brother to stop being a sadist. It was for his own good, anyway, his brother need not change like that for him. But then his aniki replied he actually **loved**_ _being a sadist, and even when Yuuta didn't fully believe it, he just shrugged in the end._

"_Suit yourself…" he muttered while Fuji Syusuke just smiled at him fondly. It was then that he recalled a similar look, but not quite the same, as the one he saw earlier at the courts. It roused the curiosity he thought he already dismissed._

__He knew that his brother looked at the boy differently. His Aniki was 'fond' of the boy, and in a different way that he was to him- and he wanted to know _how _different… although he was hoping it was not like how he feared.__

_And he was already there now, and the mood somewhat made him feel he could ask anything. So he did.  
><em>

_Not that he felt 'casual' about it.  
><em>

"_You seem… fond of Echizen." He started, actually wanting to sound teasing, in order to hide his growing anxiety. _

"_Fond, you say?" was all he heard before a long moment of silence. His brother wore an unfathomable tone of voice, making Yuuta's eyes to twitch slightly due to his nerves._

_Obviously, he touched something sensitive and he misread their atmosphere as one of their extremely casual moments. He felt guilty at first, but what his brother added a few seconds later made him want to get blown away by the wind._

"_Yuuta… "__the older Fuji responded looking at him with that serious expression on his face. Yuuta gulped as if it would make his soul remain in his body before Fuji says anything else-  
><em>

__"I'm not just _fond_ of him." Fuji smiled.  
><em>_

_"I'm _in-love _with him." _

_-End of Flashback-_

His brother was gay.

And now, after realizing he had strayed far from his initial position, he found out (in the most horrible, horrible, way) that Echizen and Tezuka were (gay) as well. What made it worse was that his brother would definitely be hurt if he saw this.

It was all too much to handle for the delicate Yuuta. His eye twitched crazily and his vision darkened. Yuuta just _knew_ that if he stayed there for a little while longer- he would definitely faint.

So, with his survival instincts, his body perked up for an escape.

"I-I have to go!" He yelled, not even looking at the two figures who were holding each other so intimately-

"S-S-Sorry for i-interrupting!" He finally squeaked, turned around, and ran for his life.

* * *

><p>Reina did not know what just happened, so she decided to just shrug it off and looked back at Tezuka… who still holding her.<p>

She looked at her hands that were touching his shoulders so tightly that she flushed. She instinctively pushed him away.

"Reina…" Tezuka muttered anxiously. She looked into his worried eyes and smiled sadly. She was no longer mad at him for lying to her, but the shock in the fact that he considered breaking up with her was still lingering inside. She knew he was as inexperienced with all of this as she was, but she thought he trusted her more than that. She was just depressed that he lied to her, but she never would have thought about separating from him permanently.

Not until now, that was. She loved him so much, but-

"I'm sorry, Mitsu… But I'll need some time alone." Tezuka's eye widened.

"Reina, I-" He tried to reason, but she cut him off with firmness that told him she wasn't going to change her mind.

"Please. Just leave me alone for a while. " She said weakly without looking at him. He instinctively touched her warm cheeks so that she faces him. He let his auburn eyes be locked onto her golden ones for a while.

"Until when?" He asked, unsure how long he'll be able to take it. Reina's expression became a pleading one. It said 'Please give me some time.' and Tezuka understood every word.

He wished he didn't.

"I'm… not sure." she uttered anyway.

He let out a breath to calm his crazily beating heart down. "Fine. But after I'm sure you safely arrive home."

...

They walked in comfortable silence until they reached the temple.

"Bye, then, Buchou." She smiled sadly and immediately ran upstairs. He just watched her fleeting figure with various emotions. He couldn't sure what this all meant, and all the uncertainty really made him want to cry.

"Aa…"

And they parted.

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><p><span>TEZUKA RESIDENCE<span>

The mother of the house ran to the door as soon as she heard a very weak 'tadaima'. She was a little too late though as Kunimitsu was already going up the stairs.

But she was not late enough to miss his face.

Ayana thought that the distraught expression her son had the previous night would be gone by now. She knew her son, she thought that he must've had fixed their problem by now. But looking at Kunimitsu who wasn't any less distressed... it told her the opposite actually happened.

She managed to leave him alone for a day, but she knew she would no longer be able to do so again. So she ran up to her son's room and went in without knocking.

Ayana saw her son's face was buried deeply into his hand, and he was breathing heavily. The sight broke her heart. She slowly walked in and sat beside him. She patted his back in an attempt to reassure him that he was not alone. He slowly separated his hands from his face revealing a pained expression that she never would have thought she would see in her son.

"Tell me she's still your girlfriend."

"I wish I could…" He replied cynically, almost to himself.

"You two have bro-"

"No… Not yet." He cut her off, not wanting to hear it. "But she told me to leave her alone for a while…"

"I see…" she muttered and then looked at her son before asking what happened. His expression changed back to that heart-breaking state again that she wished she didn't ask. For a moment, she thought that Kunimitsu would not tell her anything, but he _did_ anyway. Ayana appreciated his effort, considering how painful reliving the whole thing must've felt.

"Just give her time. From what I heard from you, she just needed some time to calm down." She stated reassuringly getting her son's face to soften slightly. She smiled back and kissed her son in the forehead.

"Besides," She chuckled, hoping it would lessen his uncertainties.

"It's definitely your fault, anyway."

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><p><span>ECHIZEN RESIDENCE<span>

Reina sat on her bed and reread her favorite notebook over and over again. It was green and light; and it contained information that touched her deeply.

In front indicated its name: Tezuka Kunimitsu Vol. 5.

Yes, it was Inui's data book they 'confiscated' all those days ago: The one she swore to **burn**.

Obviously, she _didn't_ considering the nice little state it was in. She hid it under her bed as if it was a diary containing all of her secrets. It didn't, but its contents were just as close to her heart – it explained how much Kunimitsu loved her… the probability that he would do anything for her was overwhelming.

She knew these things, of course, by intuition. But reading the actual words, by an objective observer, could have a totally different impact on a person's psyche.

She used to read it to relive moments like what teenagers-in-love did quite often, she was at _that_ age after all (even Ryoma couldn't be exempted). But now, she was reading it for a totally different reason; She was reading it so that she would feel assured that Tezuka still loved her. She never doubted his feelings before, but now after what had happened she couldn't help but feel uneasy.

So, she read it again. And again.

And again…

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><p>It was Sunday and the prefectural tournaments continued- but their block had already finished yesterday, so it was basically a free day to them. Reina could definitely use a break… and maybe just read some mangas in her room the whole day-<p>

"Oi! O'Chibi!" Her noisy father shouted opening the door just as she settled for a read.

"Nani?" She asked irritably.

"We have to go somewhere!" Nanjiroh replied urgently, walked closer, and grabbed her in the arm to drag her outside.

"O-OI!" She exclaimed fighting with her own father.

"This is urgent! DAmnit! I'm going to get killed if I don't go!" he cried.

"Hell I care."

"OCHIIIIBIIIIIII! Ah. I'll burn your mangas if you don't come." He grinned confidently.

_Twitch_

"I'll burn your porn magazines if you do, then." She replied as coolly as she could, which anyone would say _was_ actually pretty cool. Nanjiroh panicked for a moment but then a convenient idea

"I'll de-cotton your stuffed toys, then!" he smirked.

"You _wouldn't_." She threatened. Those stuff toys are valuable to her. They were given to her by one of her best friends, after all.

"Oh, I _will_."

She was not sure how brave her father would be when it comes to her toys. But she was not going to risk it.

"Fine."

**...**

He drove her to some sort of park. He wasn't telling her why he was taking her there and he just told her she wouldn't dislike it. When the car stopped she saw from the window two girls waiting patiently in sports attire. It was Sakuno and Toma, Tomi..., whatever.

"You need a break from guys, kiddo."He said and after a second of loading what his father actually did, she pulled down her hat to hide a sad smile."I suppose so." she whispered in agreement, and proceeded to the two girls.

_Heh_

Echizen Nanjiroh stared at the three girls for a moment and smirked. Reina wasn't showing really showing it but the tension that surrounded her earlier that morning had diminished greatly.

He knew what had happened, and he couldn't blame either of them. It's really weird what those kids are actually arguing about. They kind of remind him of his head-over-heels-in-love-until-their-deathbeds parents.

Not that they knew that, of course.

_-Flashback-_

_Echizen Nanjiroh walked like a drunk (as usual) to his temple home. It was almost dusk and he was starting to feel really sleepy. He made a loud yawn just before he noticed a tall figure just standing there staring blankly at the stairs. Nanjiroh frowned._

"_It's already dark. Don't tell me you're going to take my daughter out _this_ late at night!?" He said irritably probably assuming that the moon was just especially shiny and looking like the sun that day. _

_The boy looked at him with visibly sad eyes, and he winced. He had never seen him so open before. If only he didn't like this kid-_

_He sighed. "What happened, brat?"_

Silence

_The boy shifted his gaze to the ground and his eyebrows arched, thinking of whether or not to tell him. And _how_._

_Nanjiroh decided to be patient (who would have thought…), and just stared at him. Then, he noticed leaves stuck on some revealed parts of his clothing – indicating that he hadn't moved for a while._

"_How long have you been here?" _

"_I don't know, Echizen-san." He mumbled a reply, finally realizing what he was doing. "Then, I'll excuse myself."_

"_Oi."_

"_Yes…?"_

"_You haven't answered my question." He asked nosily. He's always really apathetic when it came to these things, but when his daughter was in the picture he could never stop himself from butting in._

"…"

"_Does this involve my daughter?" He interrogated and Tezuka nodded reluctantly._

"_You didn't by some chan-"_

"_We're going to distance ourselves from each other for a while. That's all." He stated wanting to convince. _Who_ the boy wanted to convince was actually quite vague to him. But Nanjiroh just stared expectantly at him, and Tezuka could not help but gulp silently._

_This awesome monk was **not** going to stop prying until he finds out what happened._

_..._

In the end, the kid told him _everything_ that had happened (save for the displays of affection, of course). He knew that Tezuka would try something to pull Reina's style out again, but didn't really expect him to risk so much. He just found a whole new level of respect for his daughter's boyfriend…

And he never would have thought mentioning that wouldn't scar his ego.

* * *

><p>The three girls walked slowly to an open space. The cross-dressing one decided to just sit back and relax.<p>

"Ryoma-kun…" Sakuno mumbled seeing this, as she should be teaching them to play tennis.

"Just practice hitting that wall over there." She replied at pointed at the big cement wall behind Sakuno. Sakuno and Tomo nodded.

_Pak_

"Ah!" Sakuno yelled as she missed her first ball, and then smiled as she saw Tomo do so well.

"Sugoi! Tomo-chan!" She complimented awe at how sporty her friend was.

Ryoma continued to watch the girls passively making sure no… distracting… image of a certain someone popped out of her head...

But then a flash of silky honey-brown hair waved as if it was just in front of her eyes...

Then striking eyes... full of emotions she was always so eager to see.

Then a full face looking at her... smiling... and then it went closer-

Her eyes twitched.

'_SHIKUSOOOOOOOOOO'_

Her internal battle with those blasted recurring memories continued for a while until it was eventually interrupted by Sakuno accidentally hitting the ball to her face.

"Ow!" She uttered in surprise. Sakuno's eyes widened in despair.

"AH! Gomen, Reina!"

"Reina?" Tomo blinked, but Sakuno immediately went in for a save.

"I-It's a feminine nickname I gave to Ryoma-kun…"

"Ah." The other girl voiced out, not suspecting a thing – much to Sakuno's relief. Ryoma, on the other hand, was still quite annoyed- well, not really, not when _those_ thoughts were momentarily shooed away.

"Try hitting someone that can't feel pain." She just replied sternly. The two girls flinched.

"HAI!"

**…**

Echizen Ryoma _seriously_ needed distraction. Images of that guy seemed to be popping out every 2 seconds. Distraction, distraction, distraction-

"AH! Waa…" Sakuno cried as she watched her ball with her friend's lovely face fly reaaally far away.

"Nani?" Ryoma asked. Tomo explained what happened and Sakuno immediately ran after it. Ryoma sighed and went back to meditating. She was training to keep unwanted thoughts away-

_Tezuka telling her he loved her._

She shook her head. _Darn it_.

**…**

*ON SOME RANDOM SCHOOL COURT, Several Minutes Later*

Ryoma really _really_ just wanted all the confusion to go away- even for just a little while. She was not going to lie she liked the feeling of falling for Tezuka. But the uncomplicated life she had before she fell in love... she missed it. She needed it. Just for a short, short, while. She wanted to be more objective with what was happening, after all, and the state she was in at the moment? It was beyond difficult to think straight.

It was such a harmless goal…

So why couldn't she just _do_ it?!

Fortunately, she had a monkey to vent her depression on. No, _thirty _monkeys to be exact. Sakuno's ball landed in their tennis courts and they had to be such jerks and play around with her. Of course, she hated seeing her friend get bullied… the fact that she could actually hit someone's face was just an unexpected bonus.

"OW!" Monkey #1 exclaimed in pain. She didn't do it purpose. How was she supposed to know the guy would run _opposite_ to where she _so obviously_ would hit?

"Come one! Tsuchiko! Show him your Bullet Serve!" A random monkey shouted at Monkey #2. She only have 28 more to beat and all the tennis balls in the courts was hers to take. Considering how unskilled these losers were, she knew it wouldn't take long.

Monkey #2 hit his so called 'extremely awesome fast shot' with pride. Ryoma sighed in disappointment.

'_Too slow'_ she thought and effortlessly hit it back.

Monkey # 3 came closer with a semi-arrogant grin and stated, "Don't get too full of yourself, kid! I'm the best player here and I'll show you what Ginka Middle School is really capable of!"

He certainly was the best, Reina found out begrudgingly 27 monkeys later. The remaining players were even _less_ skilled. And there she thought she'd be _less_ annoyed. But even **Arai** was better than these monkeys, and beating them all was almost a waste of time.

Her gaze shifted at the two girls grinning in delight like no tomorrow. And then to all the tennis balls she could use and (maybe) give away. And the fact that she hadn't thought about _him _for several minutes…

_She thought that it wasn't much of a waste, after all...  
><em>

* * *

><p>Inside a building next to the courts were two young boys- one of which was abnormally tall. He was threatening the smaller one – a student from Ginka – to help him steal from the player's locker rooms. He really couldn't find anything valuable and was about to beat the crap out of the other guy when he heard a few… screams.<p>

He walked to the window and watched the whole thing. He sneered in both amusement and disbelief.

"Unbelievable! Who _is _that little boy?!" The smaller one exclaimed in awe, but his amazed expression was immediately replaced by confusion once his silver-haired companion started laughing evilly out-of-nowhere.

"What losers-" He commented, and stared at the figures slowly retreating from the courts.

"-To be pummelled by such a small girl."

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><p>Ryoma shivered for a moment and immediately looked at where a weird stare came from. It was a window from a nearby building but she could not see anyone from the inside due to the sun's glare.<p>

"Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno asked trying to get her attention. She was saying something like they should go before anyone caught them.

"Ah…" Ryoma just muttered without looking away from the window. She glared at it, just as the reflection of the sun glared at her. She only managed to do so for a moment, though, since it definitely did hurt her eyes. Oh, how she wished she had sunglasses…

"Reina." Sakuno called again, but this time more worriedly, as soon as Tomo was out of earshot. Ryoma sighed.

"I'm coming."

**...**

Echizen Nanjiroh was grinning when he saw all the new tennis balls they could use. He lifted them to the back of his car and, to his surprise, his daughter went in as well.

"Who's gonna sit on the passenger's seat?"

"Air-sama." She spat.

"Awwww…" Nanjiroh complained like a child… as usual. Ryoma's eyes twitched.

"Go away, Oyaji."

"Che." Nanjiroh muttered as how disrespectful his daughter could get (not that he was actually 'respectable') thanks to his son and that blasted 'image' she maintained. He recalled that she momentarily reverted back to her old self when she was dating that guy-

"Fine." He muttered and begrudgingly closed the door. Ryoma smirked.

"Oyasumi." She whispered, and went to a blissful sleep beside her spoils.

_Sigh_

If only she didn't keep dreaming about a certain buchou with glasses.

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER XVIII**

_**Coming Soon:**_

**CHAPTER XIX: The Hunt**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<br>**

**Nekotan1999-** I _know_! haha. But I have to admit I enjoyed torturing him. XD Thx for the comment~**  
><strong>

**Blueberryxn-** lololol. Inventing your own language, eh? Then I would have had to decipher it first. Then we'd be communicating by codes. XD And Thanks for the review~! Haha**  
><strong>

**Guest [10/12/12]- **Dude, you wore right-on! XD Well, aside from the making-up thing, I'll extend their problems for a bit longer. Sorry~! And thanks for the review. ;D**  
><strong>

**animelover4ever69- **Hai~ He's not the noisy type here, either. XD Oh, and thank you for the comment~**  
><strong>

**PurpleScorpion- **Cliffhangers are fine if I update quickly, no? *wink* hahah. And as you have read, Yuuta thought the latter one of your guesses. Haha. Thanks for the review!**  
><strong>

**FrancoiseLaraLapis- **Thank you for the review! Haha. I love fixing up the Fujis~ Unfortunately, the pillar pair didn't quite make up yet. ; )**  
><strong>

**Big Sis of 8- **I love quick updates too~ And I'm glad you still like the story. XD Thanks for the review~**  
><strong>

**Frostfire613- **Yeah, I was like. "I feel you bro, but I must do what I must." haha. Thx for the comment! ^^**  
><strong>

**MintLeafeon-** *whispers* Yuuta's too delicate for that. HAHAHA. Well, my Yuuta anyway. XD Most wouldn't find out about Reina for a loong time. ;D Thanks for the review!**  
><strong>

**DawnStarLight- **I love you for telling me you love me, too! haha. And cheers for Yuuta! 3 Thanks for the review, btw. XD**  
><strong>

**Poosa-ard- Tehee~ **Thank you for the review and I hope you liked the events of this chapter. ^^**  
><strong>

**Natasya Ivashkov- **Glad I made you laugh~! XD Let us path the poor guy on the back. haha. Thanks for the review!**  
><strong>

**kikumarucat- ***nod* I like the secret too and it'll remain that way for a loong time. XD Thanks for the review~**  
><strong>

**rfijblue- **'...how he would cope with this?' Hehe. Let's assume he will be able to cope with it. HAHA. And lool I didn't think about Inui at all. XD That would've been epic though. Thanks for the review~**  
><strong>

**Shadowhawk- **The whoosh was just the wind. I wanna give the older Fuji little more space lol. Obviously, I didn't feel the same way about the younger one. XDD Sorry the Hyotei team didn't appear just yet and thank you for the review~ ; )**  
><strong>

**twilightdreamers- **Thank you so much for the review~ I am very happy to hear that! XD

**kiba515-** Here it iiss! haha. Thanks for the review, btw, and I hope this chapter wasn't that... plain. Hehe

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><p><strong>,,,<strong>

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<br>**

**It would make me feel so marvelously and utterlyHAPPY if you tell me what you thought- no matter what they are! XD  
><strong>

So please pause for a moment and...**  
><strong>


	29. The Hunt

**WARNING: **AKUTSU! That meant warning for coarse language. Gosh, I don't even curse… maybe except in Japanese. Ahaha.

Akutsu may be a bit OOC since I'm finding it quite a challenge to identify with him. Tell me if I actually portrayed him badly or not, okay? And please don't hesitate to comment about, well, anything! XD

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XXIX: The Hunting<strong>

Akutsu Jin could not believe his luck- he had finally found something good to prey on. And who would have thought it would involve one of the sports he looked down upon most?

Every sport had been beyond boring to Akutsu, that was why arrogant little bastards playing a sport seriously made him want to beat them up. The world didn't need any more stupid people. then again, maybe it did. Otherwise, supply of people he could beat up would lessen, and that was something he'd rather not happen.

Anyway- he, Akutsu Jin, defeated the best of the best (around his area) and proved the sport was too easy to even be considered worthwhile.

And one like Akutsu would never get tired of repeating the fact that he looked down on sports. E_specially_ tennis.

Just a few weeks ago he had been convinced to take on tennis again because he was told that there were a lot of better people than _him_ – of all people – to defeat. He was only disappointed by the losers and was about to quit before he saw _her _play. A person with an ego that was _way_ larger than her petite body.

And Akutsu took pride in destroying those type of egos.

"Oi. Do you know which school she goes to?" Akutsu asked coolly. The other boy raised an eyebrow in perplexity.

"She?" Akutsu frowned at the asshole's obvious lack of priority for his time.

"The fucking kid who beat your school's players."

"But isn't he a bo-"

"Answer the question. Now." He growled, losing his already short patience. The other boy shivered in fear at his glare that was associated much too easily with that of wild beasts.

"I-I don't know! But the closest elementary sch-"

"Middle School." Akutsu corrected him. She was too good to be an elementary student, her companions looked more like middle school freshmen, as well.

"What?"

"What are the closest middle schools from here with famous female tennis teams?" he added aggressively.

"T-That would be Hyotei, Takugama, and St. Peter. What are-" He wanted to ask what Akutsu was planning, but it was too late. Akutsu was already on his way to the door.

Well, just before he received another punch, that is, as 'thanks'.

**...**

Akutsu skipped school for two days to look at the schools that that fool mentioned. He looked at the teams but none of them were even close to the girl's level. The last school he went to was Hyotei, which was much better than the first two but was still not up to his standards. He glared at each girl getting them to scream in horror. He was interrupted by one of the members.

"Who are you?!" A much smaller boy with long hair interrogated. His cap kind of reminded him of his prey. He instinctively grabbed the boy's collar.

"Fuck off." He spat and threw him to the ground.

He then turned around to further his hunt when he felt huge arms in his shoulders. He looked around and saw that it belonged to a larger boy with a gorilla's face.

"Let go." He growled at the boy, unflinching. But the other boy didn't move either. They stood there for a while until he saw someone come. He had silver hair and a huge ego – another person to remind him of the girl. He immediately shook the hand away and gaited to the newcomer to grab _his_ collar.

He saw from his periphery that the gorilla was running towards them when the arrogant man gestured for him to stop approaching.

"Stop Kabaji." He ordered and shifted his haughty gaze towards him. "What do you want?" Akutsu smirked arrogantly at the statement.

"Play a game with me." He asserted and the silver-haired boy only scoffed.

"Ore-sama is being called by the coach. But even if he wasn't, Ore-sama would not waste his precious time on _you_." Atobe stated in one of the haughtiest way Akutsu had seen successfully angering the taller boy even more. It was a stupid thing to provoke him when he was in an especially bad mood.

"AH!" Atobe shouted (to his fangirls, _screamed)_ as he was hit on his precious face. A lot of squeaks, gasps, and screams from the witnessing teammates and fan girls were heard all around the courts. Kabaji immediately ran towards Atobe to help him up.

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Akutsu asked coldly and threateningly. Atobe glared at him, as he palmed his attacked cheek. The moment his hand touched his face, though, his eyes widened in despair and ignored the intruder to look at himself at his handy pocket mirror.

"GAH!" He cried. "My-My beautiful face!"

Atobe immediately looked at Akutsu angrily; and soon enough his fan girls caught themselves and gestured to go closer. Akutsu Jin, as pompous as he was, knew he couldn't do anything against rabid fan girls. He immediately picked up something the silver-haired boy dropped and quickly walked out the gate… before any of the fan girls could reach him.

"GUARDS! KABAJI! _SOMEBODY- _Get him!" Atobe ordered trying to maintain as much composure as he could muster, but it proved to be vain… because the intruder seemed to have disappeared. Atobe sighed his exasperation, ignored the females' caring attention, and gestured to return the mirror back to his pocket. But the moment he touched his pocket, his eyes widened in despair.

His mirror was there, but something much more important that was usually with it well, _wasn't._

_**God.**_

It was gone. His phone.

_That bastard freaking ran away with his mobile phone!_

Atobe froze in panic but immediately caught himself. He looked at his servants (that included the fan girls) urgently.

"F-FIND HIM! _NOW!_"

**…**

Akutsu was quick, not because he was scared but because he just was. He sat on a bench on a random park and opened his new steal. It was an expensive looking phone, and Akutsu just felt like taking it… especially when it was just lying around passively waiting for someone to pick it up.

He smirked and nonchalantly opened it to browse. Well, he didn't really need to browse because what he was looking for was the bloody _wallpaper_.

It was _her_. But the photo was stolen, and she was looking feminine. She was serenely reading a manga under the tree. Akutsu immediately looked at the 'Photos' folder.

His eyes widened slightly in surprise. Other than his pure unadulterated _luck,_ one would really just guess that someone as narcissistic as that silver-headed diva would have his contraption filled up with _his_ pictures, not someone else's. He looked at them one-by-one. He normally would not have the patience to look at hundreds of photos – especially since they're all stolen shots, but he found himself quite interested.

The photos formed something like a documentary. The girl had about a few dozen photos each year with her getting younger and younger as he went deeper the archive. Not too far later, he reached the last dozen.

He flinched at the photos. It was very different from his earlier ones. She was a kid, the photos weren't stolen, she was with at least with 2 of the 3 recurring boys, and she was _smiling_. At the Camera.

He continued to look at the photos with interest. Apparently, the girl was childhood friends with that narcissist. And that said narcissist is in love with her.

He smirked cynically in sadistic amusement.

'_Interesting.' _

**…**

"THERE HE IS!" A random fan girl shouted as soon as she saw the thief just sitting at a bench. Akutsu immediately noticed them and cursed. But his annoyance was immediately replaced with amusement when he saw the narcissist panting in fatigue and glaring at him and the phone.

He pompously lifted the phone up as if it was bait… and threw it to the ground.

"NO!" Atobe yelled and ran to catch it. It was fortunate that he was swift, and he managed to catch it just in time. "Do you have _any_ idea how important the contents of this are?!" He growled, no longer caring that his fans were seeing him look so frantic.

"As a matter of fact, I do." He spat back causing Atobe's eyes to widen. He stood up and went closer to Atobe so that he could grab his collar. His slaves immediately gestured to run to him, but Atobe raised his hand to signal for them to stop. Akutsu grinned and looked slyly at the phone.

"Now, if you don't want it to go to public – as well as keep your face recognizable- you'll tell them to go away." He threatened. Atobe, under normal circumstances, would not allow himself to be treated like this. But this was not one of those times. This time he risked Reina (and everyone else, for that matter) finding out about his feelings… and that could not happen, not yet.

"Fine." He sighed and Akutsu let go of him. Atobe shifted his gaze at his slaves and ordered for them to leave them alone. He had to do a bit of haughty convincing before they could agree, though. As soon as they left, Atobe looked back at Akutsu.

"So… What do you want?"

"I want to know where the girl in your photo studies." Atobe sneered.

"Do you _really_ think I would tell you?"

"No." Akutsu stated. Atobe waited for him to say something, but he didn't. Akutsu just walked away, seemingly not wanting to cause any more trouble. Atobe let out a huge sigh of relief.

If only he knew how wrong he was-

Akutsu pretended not to care and just asked that for effect. He liked inducing terror, after all.

Akutsu knew _precisely_ where he could find her. Her uniform was caught at one of the stolen pictures. He decided to be smart and not tell the silver-haired boy because he knew he would send some guards to protect her from him. And that would be much too troublesome.

He didn't know being smart was actually kind of interesting. Akutsu let out an evil laugh.

And so he went to Seigaku.

* * *

><p><span>SEIGAKU TENNIS COURTS, After Classes<span>

It was a normal day for everyone, the training was a bit harsher unsurprisingly since the final games in prefectural tournaments are coming up. The normal sound of balls, rackets, and the aforementioned items hitting each other resounded through the courts.

The fangirls and other spectators were always there so they're no longer really mentioned. But amongst the squeals and awed comments from here and there... was a very,very faint hum. Only the coach, who was right beside its source, heard it.

"You seem to be a good mood." she muttered, sweat-dropping, as she stared at the tensai of Seigaku.

"I realize my brother cared so much about me."

"You didn't know?"

"I did, I did. It was just more than expected."

The woman smiled and said nothing, quietly asking for him to elaborate.

"He's such a straight and conservative kid.." Fuji said like the surprisingly doting older brother that he could be. " Did you know, coach, he had mustered up all his courage to tell me he accepts me whatever I am?"

Well, that surprised the old woman. She knew the boy felt that way, she really did- but actually _voicing it out_? That was next to impossible.

"Touching, no?" was all Fuji said upon seeing her incredulous face. The old woman just cleared her throat.

"I'm guessing there was some other issue that roused when he admitted that?"

"Yeah." he chuckled and looked alternatively at the team's most stoic members.

"Oh."

Fuji chuckled again, rather sardonically, but Ryuuzaki was relieved he was able to speak about those two so casually. "Right. It's too bad it wouldn't be the same for those two."

...

A little over an hour later, less than a quarter of the players were left in the school grounds. Most of them were inside the building, even, packing up and ready to go home. But among the few who were left outside, were the two assigned to clean up the club's mess.

Kato and Arai were peacefully carrying the balls back to the storage when they suddenly paused. A suspicious looking guy with silver head and white uniform 'graced' them with his presence. He was really just standing there, with his tennis racket lying face up beside him. Arai just had to go and be all pompous and assert that he should leave.

Don't get Akutsu wrong, though. He _was_ planning on beating someone up, anyway. He grabbed Arai's head with a single arm and lifted him effortlessly. Arai screamed in pain as he clenched his head harder. Akutsu could not help but sneer at the pitiful sight the boy was making. He continued to beat him up, and then proceeded asking a question about his prey.

But the stupid freshman decided to run away. So, he decided to give him what he deserved – a tennis ball embedded on his face. Akutsu was about to take the almost-lethal shot when his prey arrived to save the day.

"Ryoma-kun!" The small boy exclaimed in a mixture of relief and fear. "He's after you!"

"I can see that…" Ryoma muttered, recalling the bad feeling she had in Gunki – Ginko - whatever.

"What do you want?" She asked stoically as she eyed the damage that she caused. Akutsu grinned evilly and bent down to get some stones.

"I want…" he muttered as he juggled the sharp rocks. "…to beat you."

Ryoma flinched by a millimeter at the gesture, but made sure she didn't show it. But unfortunately, Akutsu did see it…

He smirked. And aimed at her face.

**…**

Echizen Ryoma had been thankful that the class had already ended, and that most students had already left. She knew that she was not assigned with arranging the items, which really made her feel lucky at the time. Unfortunately, when she went to get changed in the clinic since the girl's locker room was under construction, and got lost causing her to be one of the few who were left at school... she never would have imagined it would all end to _this_.

"Not a word to _anyone_, understand?" She ordered to two firmly as soon as the nurse got out to get some supplies.

"Why?" Kato asked worriedly. That man should not get away with what he did to them.

"We can't burden the others with this. The tournament is starting again." She responded coolly, getting Kato to reluctantly agree.

"B-BUT that guy shouldn't get away with this! – OW! " Arai vehemently exclaimed causing the pain in his stomach to act out.

"And how do you suppose we could do that?" She asked nonchalantly pretending that she wasn't mad. Which was a lie, of course. She was _furious_ – and that's an understatement. _She had never been so humiliated her entire life!_ She didn't understand why the bastard would go to such lengths to challenge her, but she didn't care. Someday- _somehow-_ that bastard was going to pay. She'd personally see to that.

_BAM! _

Her right eye twitched at a recent memory of almost getting blinded _again. _If she hadn't trained herself to be so stoic, she could've sworn she would have screamed. She shivered and involuntarily clenched her fist. The two boys saw this and felt guilty. Ryoma was the one who got the most damage, yet _they_ were the one throwing tantrums.

"I won't tell them before you do, then!" Kato forced a smile. And she, too, let out a slight smile causing the two boys to blush. They were saved from further embarrassment by the nurse… with the coach right behind her.

* * *

><p><span>*Meanwhile*<span>**  
><strong>

Tezuka Kunimitsu stayed late for council work assuming that he no longer had any club problems to deal with. He was just walking outside the school to check if everything was alright both as a habit and due to the fact that he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach earlier that day.

It usually involved Reina but he saw her doing well, so he just assumed he was being paranoid. It was logical- truth be told- considering how much he missed her and that his mind was probably starting to desperately make things up so that he'd have an excuse to talk to her like before again. He did not expect such a mess right beside the courts. He frowned, swearing that he will make Kato and Arai work 10 folds.

He just sighed and cleaned up after his team. He didn't really complain since his mind was semi-occupied by the cleaning, and anyone could say that he definitely needed it. His mind had been much too full of Reina recently, that it was a great challenge to talk to anyone while maintaining the façade he used to so easily muster.

It was a short-lived moment, of course, as his phone rang.

It was the coach. And she was about to tell him something he would not like.

**…**

**_BAM!_**

"What happened?" he asked as soon as he opened the door as he tried to stabilize his breathing. He saw Reina flinch while the two boys stared at him with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"I slipped, buchou." Ryoma muttered as she pretended to manually iron the creases of her uniform. Tezuka knew better- he knew she was avoiding his eyes. It bothered him in so many levels and he unthinkingly walked closer to her.

"What happened?" He asked again, but with a much more serious tone of voice. Reina hid a twitch and looked at his face – his _chin_ to be exact.

"Like I _said, _I slipped." She spat feigning irritation. Tezuka frowned and he reflexively held her chin and tilted it up so that she would look at him in the eyes. Reina's eyes widened in surprise. The other two boys turned to stone while the older women squealed, but neither Reina or Tezuka noticed. They were in their own little world.

"You can't lie to me, Reina." He stated effectively causing Reina to frown in genuine irritation.

"Oh?" She voiced out. "But _you_ can?" she asked sarcastically causing Tezuka to freeze on the spot.

"R-Reina, I-" He incoherently uttered, but Reina slapped his hand away. She shifted her gaze to the nurse and asked assertively,

"Can I go now?"

"A-A-Aa" The nurse stuttered under her strong glare that was _supposed _to be directed at a certain someone who could survive it.

"Rei- _Ryoma_." The coach called her sternly. She looked at her, but her annoyance didn't diminish at all.

"I asked Momo to go home already. You _did _make him wait for a while." She announced causing Ryoma's expression to change. The coach cleared her throat.

" Tezuk-"

"Kato will walk me home." Reina intervened. Kato, on the other hand, was pulled out of his state of masonry.

"I will…?" He asked in puzzlement. He seemed to have erased any shocking memories from his head during his frozen state. Arai fainted seconds ago.

"No, Kato. I will take her home." Tezuka answered causing Reina to wince.

"B-"

"Listen to your coach and your captain, Ryoma-kun." The nurse added inconveniently.

And Ryoma could only pale in despair.

**…**

They walked home surrounded by tension that could kill someone out of suffocation. When they finally reached the stairs, Reina immediately said her goodbye.

"Bye, buchou." She was absolutely determined that she would _not _tell him what happened. The sooner she got away from him so that she could fully compose herself, the better.

"Reina…" he called, but she ignored him. Tezuka took a deep breath before he grabbed her arm to stop her from getting any farther away.

"Let go of me, buchou." She muttered barely looking at him.

"Reina. I know I've said some offending things, but you could _at least_ listen to me. You're acting like a child."

"I _am_ a child." She retorted and forced her way out of his grasp. For the moment, she had forgotten about the stings on her face and felt the pain she experienced when she found out they were not as honest with each other as she had originally thought.

"That's not the point." Tezuka replied as calmly as he could. Reina involuntarily clenched her fist.

"Then, what _is_ then? That you're allowed to lie to me but _I _can't do the same?" she practically growled. It was her way of dealing with the anxiety that Tezuka was slowly drifting away from her in a way she could not have imagined. Tezuka saw the various emotions in her eyes and he could no longer hold his despair. He walked closer and grabbed her cheeks with his hands so that she would have no way of turning away from him.

"That's not _it_, Reina!" He raised his voice, only to find it stuttering as he tried to find the words to say. "That's not it…"

"What is it then?" She asked as stoically as she could.

"Just listen to me. Please." He implored.

"Like I have any other choice." She retorted trying desperately not to give in.

"I've told you before- I won't lie to you unless it's for your own good-" Reina opened her mouth to say something when Tezuka continued rendering her unable to do so. "-I know that you don't like me lying to you regardless of the consequences. I wouldn't like that, too. But I know you and I love you too much to risk not achieving that goal."

"That's not fair!" She exclaimed fighting with herself not to hug him. She missed him like hell and he just told her he still loved her making her more elated than she should be, but she would absolutely _not_ give in. Her head was so much harder than that. Or so she hoped.

"I know, it's not. That's why I'm apologizing. " Tezuka replied as he caressed the bandage in her face. "Do you really think I'll be able to sleep not knowing what- and who – did this to you?"

Her eyes widened at a recollection of _why_ she was so eager on getting away from him that time.

"I-I can't." was her only reply.

Tezuka frowned. Reina did the same and continued to speak without thinking. "What makes you think I'm not telling _you_ for your own good?" He's not the only one who could do that after al-

"What?"

"Nothing." She spat as she mentally slapped herself for slipping up.

"Tell me, please." She sternly shook her head while she rummaged her head for a believable excuse.

"Why not?" he asked forcefully. She was making all of this even harder for him.

"I… don't want to." She lied, and Tezuka knew it – as always.

"You're lying to me again."

Reina didn't say anything and looked down. Tezuka knew she would not speak until he reassured her.

"I promise I won't do anything rash." He stated, confident that he _will_ manage to get a hold of himself no matter what – as he always had.

"Really?" She asked hopefully as she considered actually telling him to get this embarrassing interrogating scene to end.

"Hai." Tezuka asserted. She took a deep breath.

"I… someone threw rocks at me." She finally uttered, and she did not expect Tezuka's expression to change so readily. He was mad… and he made no effort hiding it.

"And you know this person?" He asked her with his voice almost cracking.

Reina grimaced at the turn of events. "You said you're not going to do anything rash!"

"I'm not."

"What's with that expression, then?" She accused vehemently getting Tezuka to _partly _get a hold of himself. Well, not _really._

"What do you expect me to feel, then?!" He uncharacteristically yelled at her. Reina flinched at this, and she barely managed to articulate anything.

"C-Calm _down_, Tezuka!" She exclaimed, not expecting at _all_ that she would ever hear – let alone utter – that sentence to the most stoic person in Seigaku. Tezuka didn't expect he would, either, so he _did_ calm down.

"Do you know who threw the rocks at you?" He asked again with a somewhat calmer voice. His regained composure and piercing stare told Reina it was safe to tell him now.

"Akutsu Jin of Yamabuki." She stated hoping that Tezuka's calm state would not change.

But luck wasn't on her side that day.

Tezuka seem to have forgotten how to calm down again and returned to his previous expression. The only difference now was that he knew who to throw it to. But the moment he turned away from Reina to go to THAT BASTARD, Reina wrapped her arms around his waist to stop him.

"You _promised_! You're going to break your promises to me now, too?" She shouted in a way that blew all of his anger away. He absent-mindedly touched her small arms softly... thinking of how long it has been since he touched her like this.

Reina probably felt him calming down a bit, unfortunately, since she was quick to let go of him and stepped back. He exhaled a bucket of oxygen and turned around, and saw her looking at the ground as if it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"Gomen. I wasn't thinking." He said to with his trademark baritone voice, his gaze peering through her like a knife.

"Obviously." was all she muttered.

Tezuka smiled lightly, knowing that slowly they were nearing to their destination- that wonderful, wonderful, place- before their fight. He had been terrified for who knows how long that they would never be able to be like that anymore.

"I won't do anything to him that you won't like me to." He muttered, correcting himself, earning himself a relieved look from her. After all, she was planning her own revenge, probably by tennis, and he realized that he had no right to intervene where he wasn't wanted.

He felt his heart constrict when Reina took down her wall and smiled at him brightly.

"Thank you."

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXIX**

_**Coming Soon:**_

**CHAPTER XXX:**

* * *

><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Kiba515- **Glad to hear that, then! XD Here's the next chap~ Sorry it's a little late, and thx for the review!**  
><strong>

**Blueberryxn- **Ha! XD Sadly I'm not gifted in that field. I'm still having problems w/ spelling until now. And I'm almost 20. Thanks for the comment~ haha**  
><strong>

**FrancoiseLaraLapis- **Yeah. That 'straight' belief of his shattered to pieces. ahahaha. Maybe we should get her read Fanfiction, _this_ is definitely good distraction. lol. Thanks for the comment~**  
><strong>

**Guest [10/20/12]- **Hehhe. Nanjiroh and Tezuka looked somewhat cute, too, ne? lololol. Thanks for the comment! ^^**  
><strong>

**Frostfire613- **Hai~ They will. ^^I'm starting to feel sad myself in keeping 'em apart. XD Thanks for the comment~ ;D**  
><strong>

**MintLeafeon- **I dunno what to feel making all of your aforementioned fears come true in this chapter. Hahaha. Mah, all's well that ends well for them anyway. XD Thanks for the comment~! : )**  
><strong>

****Guest [10/20/12] (2)-**** Yeah! I'm surprised Yuuta's still sane. Haha. And haha- anyone would indeed prefer a beating from Reina than Akutsu any day. XD Thanks for the comment. ; )****  
><strong>**

****PurpleScorpion- ****Alas, FF. net's acting up again? T_T And yeah, Akutsu's trouble. Hope the 'reactions' are satisfying enough. lol. Thanks for the comment~****  
><strong>**

****sakurablossoms- ****your wish is my command~ Haha. Thank you for the review! ; )****  
><strong>**

****Poosa-ard - ****Thank you for the review and I'm happy to hear (er.. read) that you thought so~! haha

****Shadowhawk- ****hehe. I thought the story needs a _little_ drama. XD And I can't seperate those two for long. Haha. The guy watching her was Akustu, btw, and thank you for the review~****  
><strong>**

****rjifblue- ****lol. I have this odd fondness in making straight people look gay. Hahahah. Thank you for the review, by the way~ XD****  
><strong>**

****natasya ivashkov-**** Yep. I won't be focusing on him any time soon, but I will. ^^ Thanks for the comment!****  
><strong>**

****The weasel is MINE- *****Blushes furiously* here it is and I'm sorry it took so long! Hehe. Hope this was hope the wait and lol. *starts Fangirling w/ you.* thanks for the review!****  
><strong>**

****Hope- ****Ah! Sorry the next updaate was late. T_T Praying this chap would be good enough and thanks for the comment~****  
><strong>**

****nwyd-**** Ryoma, Atobe, and Yukimura (and Fuji) thanks you for telling them they're awesome. XD Thanks for the comment! XDD

* * *

><p><strong><strong>...<strong>**

* * *

><p><strong><strong>Once again, thanks for reading!<br>****

****I would really appreciate you guys reviewing, or fav'ing, or subscribing, or even adding the story to your C2! (Hugs to those who already did) Those email alerts are highly motivating. XD  
><strong>**


	30. Thrill

**Thank you for supporting me so far! Especially to those who fav'ed, subscribed, C2, and reviewed. Sending all of you some love-filled hugs~ XD  
><strong>

**WARNING:** I'm following the canon, so the Akutsu thing'll be put off for a bit. ^^ This episode was the Ryoma-Fuji match. ;) Enjoooooy~ I pray. XD **And please don't hesitate to say something!  
><strong>

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I OWN Prince of Tennis and **Amou Nami and ****Hino Kahoko **from La Corda D' Oro. Please google them if you want or take a look at the screenshot I posted on them on my page. XD

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXX: Thrill<br>**

SEISHUN GAKUEN 

Another school morning it was, in Seigaku, and once again it was characterized by the murmurs coming from all directions, partnered by the lovely fluttering of the wind.

One of the students entering though, was barely making any sound to contribute to all the noise. She had a wavy and flowing light-brown hair- -almost orange in hue, framing her pretty face. She was walking nonchalantly across the entrance, absorbing every detail that she could. Not only was it a habit of an aspiring journalist like herself, but also because she missed her school so. It had been so many weeks since she had last been here, as she was chosen to be a representative of the Student Organization for Journalists to the Philippines for a convention. She reminded herself these points with pride. It was, after all, quite an achievement.

"Amou-senpai!?" She paused at the mention of her name. She turned to where the familiar voice came from and readied herself for a friendly bear-hug, which came a second later. "How come you didn't tell use you're here already?"

Amou smiled at her kohai. Her name was Hino Kahoko, and she had shiny maroon-hair. Even though she was wholly a plain and uninteresting girl, Amou loved her like her own sister.

"I just arrived yesterday, any good news since I was gone?"

"A lot has happened..." came after a pause. Amou answered it with a small sigh.

"In retrospect, maybe I should have allowed you guys to message me these things. It seemed like a good idea at the time."

"It was. You wanted to focus on the task at hand, right? The convention was definitely a big thing! Congratulations again, by the way senpai."

"Domo." She smiled, but certain memories were recurring as she said the prior sentences. And she did mean, thoroughly even when it sounded like a joke, that she deeply regretting not letting her club members update her on the local news.

"Amou-senpai? Are you feeling well?"

"A-Ah." Hino opened her mouth to ask again, when her eyes caught something slightly behind her. "EH?"

"What is it?" she uttered before turning her head, herself. Her heart stopped. It was _him_.

"What happened to Echizen-san?"

"Who?"

"He's a freshman. He's the prodigy of the tennis team."

_"I see_." She said with something prickling her chest. She pushed the memories of the previous day away. _If only it were that easy..._

And Tezuka Kunimutsu's arrival about a minute later did not help it at all. And if she didn't see what she saw the previous day, she would have had a hard time determining the look he gave the boy was a loving one.

_-Flasback-_

_Amou Nami had arrived from the Pearl of the Orient a few hours prior. She was asked to rest by her parents but she missed Tokyo (and a certain someone) very much- to the point she just couldn't sit still. _

_So she walked around aimlessly and somewhat hoped she would come across people (especially a certain someone) she knew by coincidence along the way. Walking along the streets near his house was pure 'chance'.  
><em>

_She didn't mean **this** kind of coincidence, though... _

_"I won't do anything to him that you won't like me to." A familiar voice uttered from another side of the wall, making her pause her steps and she hurriedly placed her back on the wall. It was then that she heard a pretty feminine voice, after some silence.  
><em>

_"Thank you."_

_Amou did not like this air for some reason, but she decided to take a peek anyway. Her eyes widened, the owner of the feminine voice was a _boy_. A very beautiful boy. The journalist part of her thought this was a scoop- a large one. _

_Those two... even when weren't doing anything passionate, the way they looked at each other-_

_**Doki**  
><em>

_The 'perfect' Tezuka Kunimitsu, whose reputation she had been desperately to break, was _gay_. Not to mention he already had a lover at the tender age of 15!_

_But another part of her... the one she thoroughly felt, was hurt.  
><em>

_She didn't get why she had to feel like this before realizing. Looking back..., she was obsessed with ironic she was thinking of these things, standing with her back against the cold concrete wall, when she was used to think deeply in her flat table.  
><em>

_At first, she disliked the tennis team's famous captain. He was 'too' perfect, it was impossible. Loved and respected by everyone, including the teachers, enticed a type of envy she never thought she was capable of having.  
><em>

_But after a long time of hanging around him, and never giving up despite the aura of intimidation he was consciously sending her... soon he gave up and just allowed her be. After all she, Amou Nami, would not get a scandal. She vowed, after realizing his confidence, to try harder.  
><em>

_But it didn't take long for her to see that he really _was_ starting to look perfect. That stoicness of his just added to his charms. Like he was a man out-of-reach..., making the thrill of seeing him as a man that much higher.  
><em>

_She dismissed those thoughts as mere admiration, and it was an easy thing to believe.  
><em>

_But even so, frankly after two years of interacting with him, she thought that when she left- -he would miss her. But he didn't show any sort of emotions when she told him the news. None. _

_To him, maybe she really was just some prying peer that aimed to be somehow connected with him. _

_And now... to think his was a _homosexual_? At the back of her mind, she thought it must be the reason he did not even succumb a bit to her charms._

_She pulled out a bit more courage after her ponderings and she peeked again. Her eyes widened.  
><em>

_Did Tezuka just kiss the boy on the cheek?  
><em>

_**Doki. Doki. Doki**  
><em>

_Any more of this and her heart was going to stop. Literally.  
><em>

_She tried to feel her legs. They could still move.  
><em>

_And so, she did what a journalist should never do in front of a potential scoop: She ran._

_.  
><em>

_.  
><em>

"A-Amou-senpai?"

Her kouhai's voice pulled her out of her trance. She stared at her and wondered what all the commotion was about. She looked around and a few people near them was gaping at her, too. And she realized, a moment later, why.

She was crying.

"I-I have to go."

Hino looked very worried. Amou knew it was the girl's first time to see her cry. But before the girl could open her mouth, Amou's body was already readying for an escape.

"A-Amou-senpai!"

But once again, Amou Nami ran away.

And it seemed as she would remain doing so for days to follow.

* * *

><p>"Echizen-chan."<p>

A few days passed since the attack, and Ryoma's wounds had finally been healed. She let out a sigh of relief as she felt her bandage-free face. Having those annoying things there enticed quite a bit of interrogation with _her_ as the unfortunate receiving side.

Everyone (Ryoma, Arai, and Kato) just told everyone else that they slipped and that it was a domino effect with Ryoma at the worst position. Of course, only the two resident idiots believed them.

"You tell me you tripped on a floor that affected many parts of your face that are _very_ far apart?" Fuji asked (again), definitely sceptical of the fact that floors could move and damage all parts of the face.

"Stop bugging me, senpai." She spat (again).

"Come on, Echizen-chan, please tell us – we're you're friends." Kawamura added in aid of Fuji. Oishi nodded from behind them. Together, the three senpais could do anything.

She stared at them in ponder. They were in the dressing room, and only four of them were in there, so Ryoma decided it wouldn't hurt to tell them so long as she reassured them _first_- something she wasn't able to think of when she was with Tezuka.

"I will play with him in a tennis match and crush him. So you don't have to do anything."

"What was that? A disclaimer, Echizen-chan?" Fuji commented in a partly amused tone-of-voice.

"Yes."

"Okay… please continue." Fuji chuckled. He tried his best to find ways to cool down because he knew by intuition that he wasn't going to like what he was about to hear.

"Akutsu Jin of Yamabuki challenged me in an unconventional way – that's all." Ryoma stated in the hope that she would not get much inconvenient reactions from her senpais… but realized a little too late that it was hopeful thinking. Dark auras emitted from them, but the odd thing was Kawamura had a confusion and shock in the mix.

"CALM _DOWN, _Senpais! _damnit!" _She yelled, although only loud enough so that no one outside could hear.

"How do you expect us to?" Fuji frowned getting Reina to get even more annoyed than she already was.

"That's what the disclaimer was for!"

"Gomen ne, Echizen-chan." Kawamura muttered out of nowhere earning everyone's gapes.

"How come you're apologizing, senpai?" Ryoma asked in confusion, but he just shook his head.

"No reason… Now, if you'll excuse me…" he mumbled, made a slight bow, and proceeded out the door.

"What's with him all-of-a-sudden?" Ryoma uttered, while the other two shrugged.

"Saa…Who knows…" Fuji just said while Oishi continued the topic they'd left off.

"Are you sure with just leaving it at that, Echizen? We are willing to fight with you, you know…"

"I _know_- But please don't." Ryoma stated firmly telling them that they should not discuss this matter any longer.

"Very well, I trust that you won't get yourself into trouble okay?" Ryoma nodded. "… Now, I'll be going then as well. I'm sure Tezuka is looking for me." Oishi smiled. The other two just nodded, and he proceeded to the courts as well. Fuji saw that he was now alone with the love of his life, and decided to take advantage of it.

"Echizen?" he called and she turned to him.

"Hai?" she mumbled cutely and Fuji touched the small wound still visible in her forehead. He stroked it for a few seconds and Reina didn't seem to mind… Well, that was until he leaned down and _kissed _it.

Reina immediately backed away after that, and Fuji mentally shook his head at the fact that ths girl simply had no hormones unless she was with stared at him firmly, almost unembarrassed.

"Please don't do that. I don't think Buchou would like you doing this."

"You two have made up, I see?" Fuji commented and sighed. "Bummer."

Ryoma gulped at the recollection of his conversation with his brother. The one that inevitably ended up to his masochism in love.

"Senpai-"

"Yes, Echizen…?"

"Please give up on me."

"I already have."

"Really?" She asked with a slight hint of hope in her eyes.

"That just meant I'm not going to try to steal you away from Tezuka." He smiled cynically. "But that doesn't mean I don't have feelings for you anymore."

"But senpai-"

"Nope. I don't think I'll stop them."

Reina frowned at the overtly blunt and inconsiderate statement. "Stop being a Masochist."

"I don't mind being a masochist… so long as _you're_ the one causing my pain…" He replied playfully. He could be as honest with her now with what he felt, regardless of how flirtatious it might sound to anyone... and how inconvenient it might be. Tezuka and Reina knew his feelings now, so there was no real reason to hinder them any longer.

"SENPAI!" She just exclaimed in aghast. But Fuji chuckled at the cute sight of the slight blush (finally, although it probably meant nothing much for him) creeping up her face. Many people would pay to see this, but it was a precious secret. Some of the very few things left that made him feel special in her heart.

So he composed himself, chuckled, and waved his hand as if nothing was bothering him.

"Hai, Hai.."

**…**

They went out together and walked a few steps, and soon Ryoma saw something that made her pause. It was a pretty girl with orange hair tied back in a ponytail, holding an SLR, and taking a picture of the courts, the player, and... the buchou.

She stared when she took another one. Tezuka did not seem to mind. But Ryoma knew that like her, Tezuka was well, as the masses would call it: "Camera Shy"

But this time, he did not seem to mind at all. She somewhat ignored the uncomfortable feeling in her stomach, and watched as a few other regulars like Eiji approach the girl and give her a bubbly high-five.

"Who's she?"

"Amou Nami." Fuji said, staring at the girl's direction. "I almost forgot about her. Now that I thought about it, it had been a long time since I saw her... Ah, I remember-"

It was then that the girl smiled widely as she talked to Tezuka. Tezuka remained his stoic self, no surprise there, but once again he did not seem to mind the talkative girl.

"So..., who _is_ she?" Ryoma repeated, impatience seeping out her tone. Fuji chuckled and continued on with his sentences before he was rudely cut off.

"She's the president of the Journalism Club this year, it seems. She was sent to the Philippines for a convention. We haven't heard from her since." he paused. "She arrived a few days ago though." Fuji stared at her with his peripheral vision and she seemed so preoccupied with her thoughts that she did not notice his gapes. He smiled.

"Now that I've recalled, she hung around Tezuka from time-to-time since they were freshmen." he said, slightly turning his head away since she whipped hers to his direction. "She occasionally covered our games, especially during the second year when there was enough reason to."

"So, are they close?"

"Probably." he feigned an apathetic shrug. "Tezuka doesn't tolerate a lot of people bugging him, after all."

"..."

Fuji leaned down for a whisper. "Jealous, are we?"

"No, I'm not!"

"You're so cute, Echizen-chan~"

"_Fuji-senpai_!"

"What could all this shouting be, Echizen?" They paused and Ryoma was quick to push the blush of embarrassment down. "Buchou." She uttered and her eyes momentarily shifted to the girl beside him, Amou Nami. She mentally sighed. She was _not_ jealous. Why would she be?

"Nothing." she muttered, politely greeted the other girl, and walked to the courts. Fuji stared at the three characters in isolation, and it ended on Amou. He mentally smirked at the fact she looked like she knew of their relationship. Fuji patted Tezuka's shoulder and smiled.

"You're a very lucky man, Tezuka."

And he, too, left him there in thin air.

* * *

><p>Training sessions was literally hell. Apparently, Inui went to investigate their next opponent – whoever they were- and found out that they were having Spartan training. Their manager, of course, was determined not to lose.<p>

"Anyone who arrived after 1 minute will drink my new PenalTEA. It's healthy for you." Inui grinned as he poured the drink to the ground to show its 'deliciousness' to everyone. It was a slimy red goo - period- and no one (other than Fuji and Inui) would even dare even smell it.

And so another overtly effective training motivation was born.

But of course, sometimes (or in Seigaku's case, _always_) mere motivation was not enough.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"GAAAAAAHHH!"

"*cough*! *cough* My tooonguue!"

"I c-can't _breathe_!"

Were just some of the few shouts to be heard around the school during their training.

"Oh my!" A high-pitched feminine voice exclaimed, albeit not so surprised, as she took photos. She soon noticed another girl with a similar camera basically gaping at the courts in disbelief. This gave Shiba a sense of seniority and she was determined to keep it.

"Hello." She smiled.

"H-Hello. W-When did it get this worse?"

"Lately. This is the last year of many of the regular players after all." Shiba smiled. "I've never seen you before."

"Ah. I was always here until my second year." She whispered stealing a glance to the team's buchou. Shiba's eyes widen.

"C-Could it be that you like-"

"Please stop!"

"Gomen, gomen."

"I'm sorry for shouting, too. But I'm here to cover the practice for the school newspaper. I am Amou Nami, by the way." She smiled, skillfully changing the topic.

"My name is Saori Shiba. I'm the photographer for Tennis Monthly."

"Eh? That's amazing, senpai!"

And with that Shiba blushed and grinned proudly. Establishment of seniority, success!

**…**

Three laps passed and the only ones left were the regulars. Everyone else were half-dead courtesy of Inui's drink. Ryoma noticed that she was starting to feel tired since there was a time limit and they had to sprint quite often. She knew that she had to think of something quick otherwise she would have to drink a whole _pitcher_ of it because she was the last one who arrived.

What's worse? Tezuka might notice her fatigue and lose on purpose.

Like _hell_ she'd allow that to happen. Lucky for her, she had a Eureka moment at the sight of a racket conveniently placed on their way. She could use a bit of Physics.

"Ne, Senpai." She called Kawamura as she ran beside him. "Your racket." She stated forcibly handing it to him. At first he just blinked because he never saw the racket before... but then his other personality just popped out and took over.

"BUUUUURRRNNNINNNG!" He yelled getting everyone to flinch. Ryoma smirked and followed the nice trail her senpai made.

"AH! NO _fair!_" Momo yelled.

"ECHIZEN!" Kaidoh added. But when he realized he actually just supported his rival he turned his irritation to him. "Get away from here, AHO!" he exclaimed as he shouldered him back.

"OI!" Momoshiro growled and attempted to hit him. Kaidoh barely dodged it and Eiji as almost hit.

"WATCH it Momo!" Eiji cried in aghast at what his kouhai just tried to do to him.

"S-Senpai!" Momoshiro stuttered and was about to try to clear the misunderstanding when-

"Ja ne~" Fuji smiled and went nonchalantly pass them. The three's eyes widened.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

**…**

A few seconds after that and they concluded the match with a big tie. Sadly, though, they could barely move afterwards.

"Oh GOD! Inui's trying to murder us-" Oishi huffed, barely managing to move his body. He barely sat up, but Sakuno- being the perfect wife material- was already behind him before he knew it and massaged his back. Oishi blushed furiously and started to stutter, but didn't say anything to stop her anyway.

Frankly, it looked like Sakuno massaged him quite a few times before...

"Aaaaahhhh" Momo screamed in an attempt to relieve the tension inside him, and his envy. How he wished Ann was there~ She was not a good masseur but he could definitely use the energy her pretty face seemed to entice every time.

"Uru-saa-aiih" Kaidoh caught his breath, between Kuroro's massages, while the others decided to save their remaining energy and try not to stare at the two men with perfect wives.

After some moment of breathing, Eiji rolled over (after getting refused by Kumi, with the others' persuasion, to massage him) and muttered, "I need some rest, nya~"

But the coach just had to ruin all hope.

"Not yet." She interfered earning everyone's stares. "The regulars will have a practice match."

Inevitably, quite a few violent reactions would get roused.

"WHAT?"

"Unbelievable!"

"But they could barely _breathe!_"

"Monster-baba!"

Sumire's eyes twitched at the last statement. "URUSAI!" she yelled direct to the person who said it – who just happened to be poor, sensitive Eiji.

"W_AAAAAAA!_! Everyone's being so mean to me today!" Eiji cried and hugged Oishi tightly. His sweat dropped and he just mechanically patted his partner's back in a vain attempt to comfort him.

Sumire ignored him and continued with her announcement. "Fuji! Ryoma! You will have a match on Court A. Now."

_Silence_

The two people who have the spotlight all to themselves looked at each other and smirked.

'_Well, this is going to be interesting.'_

**…**

As they quietly walked together to their courts, Ryoma started talking to him in a low voice. Fuji went a bit closer to hear her better.

"Senpai… I was thinking that maybe we should have a bet."

Fuji's ear perked at this. "Okay. Let's hear it."

"If I win, you will get rid of those feelings." Fuji didn't say anything for a second. If only it could be that easy-

But he decided to play along, anyway. "…And if _I_ win?"

"…"

"Saa… you didn't think about that, eh? How confident."

"If I lose I will be patient with you bugging me with your masochism." She blurted.

"That doesn't sound fair." Fuji commented getting her to flinch. She was about to call the bet off when he added,

"Follow my orders for a whole day."

Reina thought about it for a second and answered stoically, "… fine."

Fuji smiled at the lack-of-thought. "What if I order you to break up with Tezuka?" Reina flinched crazily getting him to chuckle lightly.

"I'm kidding. I won't ask anything of the sort. Don't worry."

And Reina could only pray that the resident sadist wasn't lying.

**…**

Several minutes passed and so far it had been an awesome game. Their abilities proved to be on par thus far, but it seemed that Fuji had a lot under his sleeves. He made a lob, and Ryoma gladly took the chance to smash.

"Higuma Otoshi" he called just as he did the said technique. It was a fool-proof anti-smash move, and it was said to be undefeated. As of now, anyway.

Since then, the game favoured Fuji greatly. He had even challenged her continually with easy shots – and she answered them gladly. She made countless attempts to break his technique… but it wasn't called 'undefeated' for nothing.

"You sure don't know how to give up." Fuji stated after hitting a straight shot.

"Neither do you." She spat back, pertaining to something altogether different. Fuji could not stop himself from chuckling.

"I suppose so."

**…**

"Echizen Ryoma 40-30!" The umpire yelled with unhidden surprise. Fuji's famous technique just failed thrice in a row, and no one knew why. Well, almost.

"You're really something, Echizen." Fuji complimented.

"Domo. You're not bad yourself." She smirked as she dribbled her ball for another serve. "I'll be making a huge comeback now."

Fuji grinned and readied himself, determined to find out what she did.

"I'd like to see you try."

**…**

Tezuka Kunimitsu watched the game with a mix of emotions. He was entertained to a point because it was, indeed, a good game. But he couldn't shake off the feeling of irritation whenever one of them showed a knowing expression every time they talk about something he couldn't relate to.

"Momoshiro! It's your turn." The coach announced getting his attention. He was assigned to be Momoshiro's opponent, after all.

"Who am I up against?" Momoshiro asked excitedly to no one in particular. Tezuka took off his jacket as a sign that he was getting ready. This gesture unsurprisingly caught everyone's attention.

"Me."

**...**

It was Kaidoh and Kawamura's turn next. Both of them were still a bit tired, but watching all those great games made sure they forgot all about it. Kaidoh was in battle-mode and was readier than ever when-

"Ganbatte Kaoru! … and Senpai, as well." A familiar voice cheered. Kawamura nodded with his trademark demure nod, while Kaidoh just flinched.

"You ruined my mood." He uttered bluntly, and mentally punched himself right after. Kuroro stuttered immediately.

"I-I'm sorry, I-"

"It's fine." Kaidoh reassured her without smiling. He looked at her for a millisecond and muttered embarrassedly,

"Thanks."

And the couple, just like that, flushed like no tomorrow. **  
><strong>

**…**

The final ones to be assigned were the golden pair. Sakuno undoubtedly went to watch her boyfriend's game and Kumi went along with her. The two other kids went from court to court.

The freshmen trio, on the other hand, basically panicked and idiotically wasted their time deciding which game to watch. In the end, they watched different games altogether every 5 minutes or so.

Ludwig ended up in his teacher's court again, but this time he stayed. They were having an incredibly heated match and both of them looked like they were having so much fun – especially Fuji. It was so obvious; the older boy didn't even try to hide it. But his smirk turned into a frown when Ryoma suddenly paused causing her to miss a point.

"Echizen?" Fuji asked, and the others stared as well.

"It's going to rain soon… " She muttered and then tilted her head back to pointed her racket at the tensai with that pompous air everyone was used to already.

"I'm going to have to make this quick."

**…**

Unfortunately, it didn't. But neither of them cared about the pouring rain or the incessant thunders, they just continued their game as usual.

"OI! You two, stop it!" Their coach popped out-of-nowhere and yelled. "Don't you know that rain is the enemy of tennis players? What if you got injured?! How do you expect to play tomorrow?!"

"Che. Now that the game is 3-4, you're afraid i'd turn the game around." Ryoma intervened placing a vein on top of the old woman's forehead.

" . . .again." The coach growled stretching her poor cheeks.

"O-OW!" was the only thing Reina could exclaim. Fuji chuckled lightly for a few moments but then he blushed when he saw that Reina's shirt are holding on embarrassingly tight to her body due to the rain. Fortunately, it was made of thick cloth so he didn't see anything else.

He cleared his throat to get the two women's attention. "I think Echizen-chan should wear her jersey."

They blinked for a moment and then looked down to her upper body to see why he was talking that way.

"Ah." Ryoma raised her voice a bit, but that was that. The person who actually had a violent reaction was the old woman who frantically grabbed her jersey and forcibly put it on her.

'_Thank goodness Tezuka isn't here to see this.' _She mused.

Ryoma looked at the coach questioningly and she just responded with a sigh. Sumire decided it was better for the girl not to know these things just yet. So she just let out a deep breath and ordered the girl sternly.

"Just get changed, will you?" she said, totally ignoring the other people around who had no idea why the Tensai said that.

A few of them did know, though. This list included certain girl with wavy hair, who was a moment prior frantic in protecting her camera, had very _very_ wide eyes.

* * *

><p><em>Whooosh~<em>

"Darnit...!"

Amou Nami ended up in the closest shade she could find- -and in her long time away, she totally forgot this was the men's dressing room! She barely noticed the shirts there, thanks to the fact she was busy wiping her camera and..., composing her flabbergasted thoughts. **  
><strong>

_Echizen Ryoma is a girl_. Frankly, she did not know what to feel about that-

_Creak_

The doorknob turned and she panicked. But as an aspiring journalist, she had learned to think on her feet.

And the next thing she knew, she was already in the very cramp and thoroughly uncomfortable position inside the tool cabinet.

* * *

><p>The players decided to take some shade for a while... some were in the dressing room, some in the showers, while some in the main building. But many minutes passed and there was no sign that the rain would stop any time soon, so most of them decided to just proceed with their everyday dealings and just take a bath once they got home.<p>

The only ones left in the locker room, then, were Tezuka and Fuji. Tezuka just stood there, while Fuji looked at the window and passively watched the incessant rain and lightning.

"Ne, Tezuka… Reina really is something, isn't she?" He stated casually while Tezuka remained quiet. "I had never enjoyed a game so much before - she gives me goosebumps." He smiled forgetting that he was talking to her boyfriend. She always made him feel strong emotions, but this of a different sort.

"Even just playing with her changes you-" He continued with his monologue before laughing in amusement. "It was just so… thrilling."

"Fuji." Tezuka called him from behind. Fuji flinched at the tone of his voice. It was almost unfathomable, but the aura of irritation was definitely there.

"Gomen, Tezuka. I couldn't help myself." He smiled apologetically. He had already given her up – that would not change. Not after what he did just because of a misunderstanding. Tezuka gave him a deserving punch when Reina left crying forcing him to wear make-up the next day, but he still felt as if he was not punished enough.

And now he's doing something inconvenient again.

"Saa… Tezuka, she'll remain loyal to you whatever anyone does- so stop being so possessive of her." He added bitterly causing Tezuka's expression to soften slightly.

"I know that."

"Good. Because we both know you don't deserve that much loyalty from her."

"…"

"It's not fair."

"I know." Tezuka replied sympathetically. He really did feel undeserving, but nevertheless – he would not have it any other way.

"No, you don't-" he snapped before returning to his mask. "It's ironic. We had a bet. That if I lose to her, I'll give up on her..." he paused to compose himself. He didn't think he should be so honest with his rival, but he needed to spill all the emotions out – even for just once after a torturous long time.

Tezuka remaine silent, waiting, and he took a deep breath.

"But all that ended up happening was…" he paused, as a small sardonic chuckle left his throat. "...me falling in love with her all over again."

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXX**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XXXI: Food for Thoughts  
><strong>

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Kiba515- **Hehe. glad you liked his reaction! And I apologize that I really did take a long time for this- and it wasn't even that connected w/ the prev. chap! haha. Thx for the review~**  
><strong>

**Blueberryxn-** It's the thought (Fly hugs!) that counts. Nyahaha. And same here! First languages comes first, after all. XD Thanks for the review~**  
><strong>

**Frostfire613-** Thank you for the review~! XD Happy that Tezuka as portrayed was still... lovable! haha**  
><strong>

**PurpleScorpion- **Yay~ Glad I did the pillar pair some justice. XD Sorry it took so long, esp. since it was somewhat of a filler. =.= Gomen Nasai. I'll try to get back tou your top 5. Ahahaha. Thanks for the review! ;)**  
><strong>

**Guest[11/08/12]- **Ahaha. Who wouldn't love torturing the lovely Yuuta? mwahah. And I'm sure they'll make up soon. XD Thx for the comment~**  
><strong>

**MintLeafeon- **Gyah! I don't think I can take keeping them apart like that lol, so glad it didn't turn out that way too. hehe. And gahehe- it's fun if she never got her way with him. XD Thanks for the comment~**  
><strong>

**DawnStarLight-** Whoa! Sugoi. XD I've never T-o-T'd before. And in large houses too? Who knows who you'd see, right...? XD Thx for the comment!**  
><strong>

**Shadowhawk- **Hmnmhmn. I wonder about Atobe, too. XD it all depends on how events'll unfold so even I can't tell yet. hehe. And poor Mitsu! His eyesight'll get worse! D:) hahaha. Thanks for the review!**  
><strong>

**FrancoiseLaraLapis-**Gahehe. Everyone wants to see Atobe get humiliated. XXDD Thanks for the review, and hope that this chap was tolerable enough. tehee

**Hope- **Sorry it's so late! D:) Thank you for the review and praying this was somewhat worth the wait. ^^'**  
><strong>

**The Weasel is Mine xP**- Thank you for the review~ And haha. Glad you thought this was 'delicious'. lololol**  
><strong>

**Desi- **Thank you for the review~ I hope this was somehow worth the loong wait. ^^**  
><strong>

**Asuka-** Eh? Really? *Hands over a cup of warm choco drink* Thanks you for the review, as well! Here's the update and I hope it didn't disappoint. ;)**  
><strong>

**yumexxfuture mangakaxx-** It will, it will! My philosophy behind harems is that it shows the loyalty of the party the best for me. ;) It'll remain the same pairing til' the end. Thanks for the review!**  
><strong>

**Annanimeaddict- **Eh? No, no. Don't worry. I'm just glad you're still reading this since I thought you stopped. XD Thanks for the review!**  
><strong>

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><p><strong> ...<br>**

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading! Please pause before going anywhere else and please let me know what you thought.<strong> : D<br>**


	31. Food For Thought

I made a poem! lololol. My very first one, too! lol This was originally for this story, but I kinda liked it so I posted it everywhere inc. my profile looooooooool.**  
><strong>

**Roses are Red, Violets are Blue  
>Time sure does run fast, and so do you!<br>And yet here you are, reading my works...,  
>And for that, I am thoroughly thankful. :D<br>**

**Special hugs sent, to those wonderful few  
>Who incessantly let me know their thoughts, say via review<br>Some may think I'm a review whore, (which I probably am,)  
>But do understand that, I simply do not wanna guess.<br>**

**Reviews and critiques, help me improve  
>Help me make the wrongs right, and maintain what is great<br>Comments and Randomness, also motivate  
>Say, they hasten my writing process, and thus quick updates!<br>**

**Even flames and rants, important to one  
>For they are full of emotions, most of which my story roused!<br>There're also the fact, that the senders sacrificed their precious time  
>To let me know those facts~<br>**

**And then there are those..., who write in the glorious little box  
>Just so you know that they are there, supporting you from the back. :)<strong>

**But nevertheless, time can never be brought back,  
>So whichever you are, silent or not, from the bottom of my heart,<br>I thank you for letting my story and I have a slice of your life. ;D  
><strong>

**#cheesy. XD  
><strong>

I'm sorry for the epic long update! T_T In any case, I will never ever quit this story (I swear) esp. since I have this inkling feeling it'll reach more than 70 or so chapters. xD Just hope we can get there quick enough. lol

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXXI: Food For Thought<br>**

STUDENT COUNCIL ROOM

Tezuka Kunimitsu went to his office desk after the rain stopped; he decided to polish the paperwork due the next day. He hoped that whatever he would do could take his mind of other things…

But unfortunately, it didn't.

He unconsciously clenched his fist at the recollection of the conversation he had with Fuji no more than an hour prior. Fuji said he already gave her up – but the fact that one of your friends has an everlasting love for your girlfriend wasn't exactly something one would like to maintain.

It was indeed too easy to fall in-love with Reina – and this fact worried him so. He knew Reina would remain loyal to him, as he would to her, but no one really knew for sure what those other men would try to do. A twinge of fear attacked his stomach. And... he ended up not being able to do anything productive the whole time.

He continued to try to calm himself when someone knocked.

"Kunimitsu."

He looked up and stared. It was Reina, smiling worriedly at him."Are you alright?" She asked anxiously while walking closer to him. She stopped right in front of his desk and surveyed all the paperwork."Do you need help?"

"No, it's fine." He looked at her, and there was a glint in her eyes that told him she came to rush him for a reason. "Is there anything you want to say?"

She gulped and scratched her cheek. "Well... Eiji-senpai, Kawamura-senpai, and Momo-senpai asked me to go with them."

"And...?"

"I... told them I'd ask you to come with us. For a breather,"

"And what were their reactions…?" He asked in an almost rhetoric manner.

"Incredulous." She answered bluntly getting him to chuckle lightly.

"See? You can go with them. Just message me when you arrived home."

"But… you should really hang-out with them like this once in a while…"

"I have a lot of work to do." he said dismissively, albeit they both knew he was already faltering.

"That's why I offered to help you." She repeated with stars in her eyes. She was really determined to drag him along. A little push and he would give it up while he still had some composure... so Tezuka sighed.

"Fine."

And with that, Reina beamed. Tezuka felt his chest constrict tightly - as always. He stood up from his chair and bent over to her level with his arms supporting his weight against his desk.

He smiled at the thought of how just the privilege of seeing her smile like this made him feel the most fortunate man alive. He stopped his movement when his face was an inch away from hers, one of his ways of asking her permission. Reina smiled and softly touched his cheeks to gently pull him closer. Their lips touched, and they both smiled.

Yes, he was a very lucky man.

But then, as they parted she looked away-as if recalling something.

"Reina?" he asked and she looked back to him, but a hint of uncharacteristic anxiety that wasn't there before appeared. It made _him_ worry. And what she asked afterwards did not help at all.

"Do you get jealous Tezuka?"

"...that's an odd question." She nodded in agreement, and she unconsciously combed back her hair.

"All my life..., I've encountered people jealous of me. Isn't it because they think I have what they want... or were afraid to lose something to me?"

"Where is this coming from, Reina?"

"I don't get it." she muttered, to no one in particular. "I don't get why I'm jealous of Amou Nami."

"What?"

"See?" She said raising her hand slightly to make her point. "I don't get it either." She continued. "I _know_ I won't lose you, and you know you won't lose me. Yet we still get jealous."

Tezuka smiled at her seriously pondering expression. He had to admit that it was nice to see another side of her, albeit he had to admit it was selfish of him to think so. Besides..., Amou Nami? Last time he recalled, he never showed the aspiring journalist any hint of affection. He just thought of her as an acquaintance so he could easily tolerate her.

Then he blinked. Was he _that_ stoic that he didn't appear to tolerate that many people?

He then smiled and held Reina's cheek and let their eyes meet. "Reina." He paused. "I may not tolerate a lot of people, especially females, but it doesn't mean that when I do I deem them as special, okay?"

"Gomen ne. This sounds so childish."

"You're 12, Reina. Sometimes you forget that." He paused. "Perhaps we're only afraid that we would lose that one fact that we're the only one special in that sense.

"Rest assured that I don't think my heart could take any more than what you already give." She chuckled at that and his eyes softened considerably at the sight. "May I kiss you again?"

She smiled and slightly let her lips part.

"Yes, you may."

**…**

_Doooooooooon_

Eiji and Momoshiro were waiting in the school gates... definitely _not_ expecting to see Ryoma actually with the stoic captain! The resident idiots did more than just widen their eyes. They immediately ran towards them, grabbed Ryoma, and took her a few meters away to whisper vehemently at her sensitive ears.

"S-SUGOI! HOW'D YOU DO IT?!"

"UNBELIEVABLE! Nya~"

Ryoma frowned at the noise and pinched both of them at the same time.

"OWWW! ITEEEE – What was _that_ for?"

"You're too noisy. No need to shout."

"So… how'd you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Convince the captain."

Ryoma instantaneously looked away. "I told him Eiji-senpai would treat everyone." She lied.

Although she no longer cared if they found out about her relationship with the captain, as Inui and Fuji already knew it anyway, she still couldn't _really_ answer 'because we're dating.' Now, could she?

The red-head's eyes widened in despair. "Wha-"

Momo grinned and patted his senpai on the back. "Hihihihi – I didn't think the captain would actually be so stingy…"Of course, Eiji wanted his allowance to survive and thus started a little argument/bargains between the two. Ryoma ignored them and, upon noticing someone missing, started looking around. "Where's Kawamura-senpai?"

"He told us he had something to do…"

"I see…"

"Shall we, then?" Momo stated with a huge grin, and looked away at Eiji's pleading please-help-me stare. "Captain's waiting." He said, and looked at the buchou's direction. Eiji followed his line-of-sigh and then went back to looking at his two kouhai's with a black hole in their stomachs.

One if his eyes twitched in terror of the imminent cremation of his wallet.

"I_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_!"

**…**

/Several minutes later/

They arrived in front of Jollibee and they were about to go inside, when Momo let out a surprised 'Eh?' that caught all of their attentions. They followed the line of his ogle and they simultaneously caught glimpse of a very familiar looking back crossing an intersection not too far away.

"Ara…Isn't that Kawamura-senpai?" Momo scratched his head and looked at his companions. Eiji – who _was_ depressed at the time – suddenly lightened up and grinned.

"Ne, ne, nenenenene." He grinned trying to get their attentions. The stoic pair only stared at him, while Momo didn't take long to adopt a similarly mischevious grin. And as if on cue, both of the idiot's heads turned to look at the stoic players, causing them to flinch.

"Buchou." Eiji said.

"Echi_zen._" Momoshiro smirked.

"Wanna do something fun?"

* * *

><p>ICEBERG'S<p>

Tezuka Kunimitsu massaged his forehead. For a moment he questioned why he was there in the first place. The other three (yes, even Reina) hid themselves behind a sign as they watched one of their teammates enter a restaurant. He stood several meters away from them under a tree for some shade.

Not a moment later, he saw another one of his teammates inconspicuously approach the three from behind- _BAM!-_ causing them all to flinch and lose their balance. The three were flabbergasted when Inui suddenly arrived behind them.

Tezuka smirked internally at the sight of his girlfriend's surprised expression.

'_I suppose things like this would be nice once in a while, after all.'_

**…**

The group followed Kawamura inside and then placed themselves at a good spot where they could watch him intently wherever he sat. A lot of assumptions floated around but they never would have thought that _Kawamura Takashi _would be dating a beautiful older woman! They wouldn't be surprised if he dated another _man_ – but an _older **woman**_?!

"No waaayyy! Nya~" Eiji mumbled in a mix of shock and envy. Momo had his mouth wide open and Inui was writing vehemently on his notebook. Their two stoic teammates, of course, remained 'looking' stoic. As Tezuka mused before, Ryoma was in a thoroughly good mood.

They watched them talking (although Ryoma was the only one who could actually hear, Eiji's eyesight was the only sense that exceeded hers) with bafflement. The older woman cried and they, save for Ryoma, and Tezuka (who just didn't care), assumed that Kawamura dumped her or something.

Momo gulped."Oh my God…" He muttered before he took another spoonful of dessert. They order a whole bunch of them, and they decided to put them Kawamura's bill. Not that Tezuka ever agreed…

"Tell me about it-"

Ryoma watched her teammates reaction in amusement. She knew that the two were speaking of someone who caused some sort of trouble at Kawamura's school-

Ryoma's eyes widened at a thought. '_Wait. Kawamura-senpai's school?'_

But before she could put her suspicions to words, the subject of the conversation and Ryoma's thoughts arrived. He had his eyes focused on the two so fortunately he didn't see her.

"What's wrong, Reina?" Tezuka asked for some reason. The other boys looked at her in concern as well.

"N-Nothing…" she answered before realizing why they looked so worried in the first blinked and forced herself to calm. It was no use.

She was still shaking.

She was shaking like hell.

**…**

Tezuka knew his girlfriend well… He knew that she was angry – very angry- and he also saw a tiny spark of fear as well. He did not like seeing her like this – it made him want to hug her to oblivion… and they both knew neither of them are fans of public displays of affection.

"I'm fine." She stated and immediately caught her composure. She let out a huge breath. The others calmed down as well, minus Tezuka. "That's Akutsu Jin, isn't it?" He asked out of nowhere getting her to look at him in surprise.

"Ah."

"Nya~ Who's that?"

"He'd the one who caused Ryoma, Kato, and Arai's injuries." Inui answered. The stoic ones blinked while the other two turned red in anger. Ryoma frowned and pulled the two back to their seats as soon as she saw that they were mad enough to actually stand up and cause a commotion at the other table.

"Sit down, you two!" She ordered silently and then glared at Inui both for his greed for data as well as the fact that he probably 'tortured' one of the other two victims into talking.

"Ii. Data."

"I swear I'm going to burn those notebooks of yours someday-" she threatened only to be cut off- by herself -as she recalled that she swore that quite some time ago yet the notebook on Tezuka was still nicely tucked under her bed.

She blushed lightly. Tezuka and Inui saw this and flinched. Tezuka opened his mouth to talk, only to pause at the sight of the bastard pouring juice to his teammate. "Buchou?" She asked in puzzlement and then turned to his line of sight. She reflexively clenched her fist in recurring anger. And her rage just got stronger and stronger as he walked closer to their direction. After he did the deed, h stood up and left Kawamura and the woman there. He had his eyes closed – trying to appear satisfied of what he just did.

There was though, only one thought in Ryoma's head. **No one** pours juice over her mild-mannered senpai's head!

So when he went pass her, she immediately stepped on his feet hoping like hell that he would fall down. Sadly, he didn't. He had the cursed reflexes that managed to let him avoid kissing the ground for once. Hence, Ryoma quickly composed herself and stood up haughtily. She reintroduced herself, to restart her image with him.

"Echizen Ryoma, Yoroshiku."

**…**

Tezuka shook his head at her actions. Her lack of precaution really worried him. He heard a silent growl from beside him making those worries grow even more.

"Seigaku-" Akutsu gritted his teeth as he abruptly stood straight up in anger. He glared at Ryoma and then took a step closer to her. Tezuka stood up immediately and placed himself between them. Akutsu paused at the sight and grinned sadistically in amusement.

"You seem to have a lot of assholes after you eh, girly?" He said in his trademark pompous tone. They all gaped at him with a mixture of emotions.

Ryoma winced at the fact that he knew she was a girl. '_How did you know?_ she asked mentally, but her face showed it all the same. Akutsu smirked at her effectively getting her to grit her teeth. Tezuka put his hand on her as to stop her from getting any closer to the psychopath.

"It was so obvious. I knew the first time I saw you." He stated smugly looking alternatively at them.

"What do you mean by 'a lot of men'?" Tezuka asked suspiciously, there should be no way this person would know that – and he felt his stomach curl at the ever growing fear for Reina.

"Find that out yourself, _Baka_" He laughed evilly and the other Seigaku regulars snapped at the statement.

"TEME-" Momo growled striding to Akutsu when-

"Sir! Please leave." The manager of the office, along with a guard and a number of employees that stood beside him, implored.

They all begrudgingly calmed down except for Akutsu – who was just eager for trouble.

"Go away you shitty ants! Can't you see we're having a conversation?" He told them off haughtily getting the police officer to frown and approach him. Akutsu pushed him away. He was much stronger than the officer. But before it turned into an actual fight the woman Kawamura was with intervened.

"Please forgive my son!" She yelled. "I _beg_ you. He's really troubled, and he has an important match tomorrow – please give him another chance…" She begged getting Akutsu to spit on the floor in annoyance of his mother's demeaning actions. Most of them were still startled at the fact that the sweet young woman was actually the delinquent's mother, but Ryoma's annoyance was so much stronger than shock.

She frowned at the silver-haired prat. "Can't you see you're troubling everyone?! Stop being a such a child and grow up!"

Akutsu's eyes widened for a second but it immediately turned to slits in irritation. "What did you say?"

"JIN!" His mother called but it didn't calm her down. What did stop him is the fact that the regulars made a wall between him and the girl. He smirked in an attempt to remain cool. He was still determined to get back at her, of course.

"Fine. But just so you know, I found out you're from Seigaku because I stole a phone from someone who had hundreds of photos of you."

* * *

><p>NEAR THE TEMPLE<p>

_TAP_

_TAP_

_Tap_

Ryoma sighed in an attempt to calm down. Tezuka, Inui, Eiji, Momoshiro, and Kawamura all took her home. She normally wouldn't mind- if _only_ they didn't glare suspiciously everywhere and to anyone as they walked!

"Stop it, senpais. We all know that if _I_ don't sense anything –which I _don't_ – then no one else will."

"But didn't you hear what he just said?! _Hundreds_ of photos of you!" Momoshiro cried. She shook her head in disapproval, convincing herself at the same time as she tried to convince them.

"Senpai, Akutsu Jin's an ass okay? He probably just made it up."

"I see…" Momoshiro muttered in comprehension while Eiji breathed out a sigh of relief completely believing the statement.

Inui and Tezuka, on the other hand, felt otherwise. They walked a few meters behind the younger players to start talking with each other. "She doesn't seem convinced with her own statement." Inui whispered careful enough for her not to hear.

"Neither am I." Tezuka replied and looked around again. Then his glare stopped at the person he was talking to.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Tezuka?" He raised a brow and then added simultaneously at an assumption, "That was not me. I don't have _that _many pho-"

Tezuka frowned. It seemed that another one of his teammates had developed feelings for his girlfriend. "Inui."

"Gomen." He replied immediately. Tezuka's eyebrows arched. Inui saw this and smirked his trademark smirk. "Don't worry Tezuka. I'm satisfied with just watching her from afar."

"No. I want you to stop looking at her." He stated firmly, but to his surprise Inui chuckled. Inui gaped at him for a second, and then stated:

"You, of all people, should know how difficult that is, yes?"

And Tezuka was speechless; and this gave Inui a lot of things to write about.

**…**

ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD

Echizen Nanjiroh was reading a newspaper that night with his feet above the ground as he waited his precious daughter to arrive. The moment he heard her adorable little voice he jumped out of the couch and gaited towards the door.

"Tadaima" She muttered.

"What took you so long O'chib-" He paused when he saw the plethora of boys behind her. Tezuka was there getting him to grin. They made up. The other boys, though, he disliked (since he didn't know them). He stared at a spiky haired boy with bushy-eyebrows, though. He looks familiar-

"Ah! Momoshiro!" His son grinned from behind him. The other boy beamed. "Ryoga-san!" he yelled and went closer for a high-five.

A nanosecond later though, another spiky haired boy with glasses was right beside them holding a notebook and pen up.

"May I have your autograph?" He asked with his glasses shining crazily. Nanjiroh liked this guy already.

"Nya? Why is Inui asking for their autographs?" Eiji scratched his head in puzzlement. He saw Inui freeze for a second when the odd looking monk appeared and then vanished. Eiji did not know how Inui managed to suddenly appear right beside them. That moment, Eiji doubted that he was the fastest in Seigaku-

"They're famous tennis players, don't you know?" Momo grinned. "This is Echizen Ryoga and his father Samurai Nanjiroh." He introduced proudly but Eiji tilted his head.

'_The names sound familiar… but oh well- better get an autograph, anyway!'_ he mused and then did just that.

"My, MY~ What a lively bunch of boys!" Rinko smiled as she clasped her hands happily. She knew by Reina's expression the previous day that she and Tezuka had already made up, but actually _seeing_ the boy with his daughter again definitely made her day.

"Let's have dinner, then?" She offered effectively getting the boys to liven even more.

"Yatta~!" Momoshiro shamelessly yelled. Eiji was about to join him when he heard a 'Meow.' A cat walked gracefully to the corridor, mewing from time to time. Eiji, mentally, squeaked in delight. '_A Himalayan cat!'_ The red head ran towards it and the two cats stared at each other for a second- trying to 'analyze' the other. Cats didn't always get along, after all.

But luckily, these two did. Karupin jumped to his arms and Eiji willingly hugged him. "I love you~!" And they swirled around in utter glee.

The others ignored the love-struck kittens and proceeded to the dining room. Kawamura went closer to Rinko and bowed apologetically. "I'm so sorry for imposing on you."

"Mou, no need to be so formal! Any of Reina's friends are welcome here!"

Eiji blinked while he held Karupin. "Nya~ Reina?"

Reina sighed and pointed at herself. "That's my real name."

"OH!" Eiji exclaimed while Momo batted an eyelid. "I didn't know that-"

"Ii. Data." Inui pretended writing since he knows that already... not that anyone was aware, of course. Reina sighed at the excessive reaction and just decided to change the topic. She looked at her mother, "Is it Japanese food?"

Rinko grinned proudly and went to the kitchen, showing up again a minute later with dishes of Japanese cuisine. Everyone's mouths watered.

"Itadakimaaaasu~!"

And boy, were they hungry kids, and Tezuka and Kawamura almost felt embarrassed for their intrusion. But they didn't say anything of course. They would need all the energy they could get for upcoming battles, after all.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXXI:**

_**Coming Soon:**_

**CHAPTER XXXII: Battles**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Kiba515-**Thank you for the review~! And yes-Fuji is the masochist. xD I had to put it for now, but perhaps he'd get _his_ happy ending?:)

**think-pink-jess -** Thank you for the review~! And I'm sosososo sorry for the epic long update~! Hope you're still with me. T_T

**mysweetcat**-Indeed! But I wanted Fuji to have his own happy ending. *wink* that's all I can say as an answer for your questions. :) And lol-Young love, indeed! haha. Thanks for the review~

**animelover4ever69-** Noted~ (about the chapter title) xD And glad you thought it was amusing and thank you for the review~! :D

**Blueberryxn-** I'm only fluent in 2 languages. I learned and still learning Otakunese since I was 5. lol. And who knows? Pfft- I'll just be basing her character on the original one from La Corda D' oro. That's all I could say for now. ;) Thx for the comment~

**Frostfire613-** Yes, yes I did update! AND I'm so sorry I took so long. T_T I just hope this and the future installments would be worth the wait... :(

**Shadowhawk-** Actually on the contrary, Amou Nami wouldn't be putting too much drama. At least not yet. ;D And gehehehe. Poor Tezuka. Hope I could make it easy on him some how... pftt- And super belated merry xmas and a Happy new year to you too! Thank you for the review. ;D

**FranscoiseLaraLapis-** First of all, thank you for the review~! And I agree with Fuji. But let's just say him being a masochist would be a prelude to his very own happy ending. *wink*

**maichan265- (ch25)** lol yeah, I wanted her to suffer from time to time... via cooking? xD And yes! She does watch animes~ I'll show that in the childhoodfriends arc that was supposed to be in chapter 18... I dunno how far forward it'll be put in yet tho. It's out of place atm. xD** (ch26)** Yes, that chapter marks the start of the angst. It should end with the previous chapter tho. The next chapters should be relatively light. ;) Oh, and thank you for the reviews~!

**Natasya Ivashkov-** Yes, yes you did review! xD Thank you very much for letting me know you're still reading this. :)

**The weasel is MINE XP-** Thank you for the review~! And so happy to read I made you flip out. I apologize for the yet another late update, and I'll try to make the waits worth it! :)

**Sakuraslayer-** Thank you for the review~! And yay! You love Ryoma's *high fives*

**AnonIsAwesome- **Ludwig's past is, for now, left to your imaginations. xD My fic'll be rated M if I showed it. hahahah. *wink wink* And here's the update! I'll try to do better, btw, and make the waits worth it! Thanks for the review. ;D

**Offtotralaland- **Lol. Thank you for letting me know you're still reading this! xD *hugs*

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading this far!<br>**Just want to warn you that I highly doubt we're halfway there. xD  
>But... I would need your help for us to get that far as quickly as possible though!<br>So, please, please, leave some feedback, ne? :)


	32. Battles

**A/N: **Thank you soooooo much for the support thus far! Special thanks to those who reviewed, fav'ed, subscribed, and added this to their C2s. xD

**AD: **I have 4 facebook pages now! Haha. If it's not so much trouble, do 'like' the page(s). All links are in my profile. ;) Thanks~

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXXII: Battles<strong>

PUBLIC TENNIS COURTS

"We're here."

"Ah."

That was the Pillar pair. Tezuka and Reina were the first to arrive, it seemed, but the others followed in succession not too long after. And as the start of the semi-finals of the Prefectural tournaments started, everyone's energy seemed to have reached a new height.

"Ohayou!" Everyone greeted to everyone here and there; and everyone else greeted them back. A lot of sections in the courts was bustling, but it was a small party on the spots Seigaku occupied. Soon enough, Eiji and Momoshiro were playing tag while the others smiled, the others shrugged, and ignored them.

A few minutes later, Tezuka looked around and saw that everyone had finally arrived. He clapped his hand, and gestured that it was time for the sign up. The team walked in linear groups nonchalantly, but to the people's eyes they were striding coolly to the sign-up area and thus caught everyone's admiring stares from all direction. Ryoma though, mentally scratched her head at the fact that she sensed some of those stares from the small forest park on their side.

_THUMP_

She heard emitting from the source and found out that several people in matching uniforms had lost their balance and fell down in a rather humiliating way. She paused and tried to remember who they were and why they looked a tad familiar.

Then it hit her, she got all those tennis balls from them. She used them every day, after all; it would be weird not to remember them.

"I won't give them back, you know." Was all she needed to say… to turn them into stones.

**…**

/_Several Minutes Later/_

The stones had come back to life... only to show them they were dying.

"We are all sick! We will be forfeiting the match! Gomennasai!" The Ginka tennis club members yelled simultaneously. And without another word, they stepped ou tthe court in a rush, but with enough 'slowness' that could actually pass as them being ill.

Most of the Seigaku members watched the opponents with a mix of surprise and disappointment. But at least they were now officially finalists, albeit not in a cool way. And seriously, though, _where's the fun in that?_

A few seconds of murmuring was heard until a new voice entered the stream of noise, but it stood out. That amount of haughtiness always would. "What losers – to be scared of guys like _those."_

Momoshiro immediately turned red in anger as soon as he heard that smug voice of his, and it turned instantaneously to rage the moment he referred to them in a demeaning manner. He clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. He was ready. Ready to fight, that was.

"Momoshiro." Tezuka ordered him to calm down immediately.

"B-But, Buchou!" But that was all he could say. His rage was replaced by anxiety and terror. Momoshiro slumped back in submission, before sending one final glare to Akutsu. Tezuka, on the other hand, simply did not want anyone to fuel _his irritation further than it already had._

And this time, there was a hand that patted _his_ back.

"Just ignore him." That was Kawamura, and he did. In fact, he was surprised his annoyance got so obvious. Nevertheless, it unfortunately made everyone else's confusion even worse.

"Who is he?" Fuji asked the calmer ones who seemed to know something. Ryoma was the one who answered.

"He's just a jerk passing by."

"I see…"

"Nya~" Eiji intervened in vehemenve. "He...He also-" Eiji was about to add what he did to their freshman, Ryoma, and Kawamura when she glared at him. He squeaked and hid behind Oishi who didn't know anything either. Ryoma ignored the stares and pretended not to see them.

There were enough hot-headed people involved as it didn't need to increase the likelihood of trouble. The others noticed this of course, so decided not to pry... for now.

But Akutsu was not about to allow himself to be ignored. "Ei, _girly_." He smirked and she glowered. "Are the wounds I inflicted on you before finally healed? Want me to throw rocks at you again?"

"You bastard-" Oishi yelled with a masculine squeak in his voice that, if Sakuno wasn't in such aghast herself, would have found rather handsome. Others weren't as graceful. Kaidoh growled, Momo was hyping himself up for a fight, while the rest of them team shouted names and curses and other things Akutsu deserved to hear.

Fuji clenched his fist tightly, while the others 'boo'ed him. Some (*cough* fangirls *cough*) were especially angry that the called their idol 'girly'.

But even when slightly happy of the defense she was getting, she was mostly just... frustrated. Why couldn't she just have a peaceful day for _once?!_

"URUSAI!" She yelled but still remained her composure. She accompanied it with her strong glare effectively getting everyone to shut up. She shifted the daggers towards the cause of all the commotion.

"_YOU_." She stared Akutsu down, enough to make his eyes twitch. "Don't you have better things to do than ask for everyone's attention?"

Akutsu gritted his teeth and forcefully grabbed the fence tightly in anger. But in the end, he smirked arrogantly, determined to get back at her. "**Girly." **He repeated.

"I _wi_ll crush you and your team during our match- -if your team doesn't lose during the first three games, of course." He smirked. "I'll be in single 2, girly. You better prepare yourself for destruction."

"If you're not the girly chicken that you are, of course."

**…**

*later*

On a relatively spectator-less part of the public courts, the Seigaku tennis team huddled in a semi circle... watching two of their best players have their... disagreement.

"No. " That was Tezuka, and Ryoma looked (in her standards) aghast.

"Bu-"

"No." Tezuka repeated firmly.

"But I need to beat him up! It's what I decided to do to get revenge on him!"

"No. It's too dangerous."

"He's right, you know." Their coach added in support of Tezuka.

"How am I supposed to teach him a lesson?!"

"Someone else will do that."

"No!"

"You shouldn't let him provoke you, Ryoma."

"I'm not!" She said, and yet she was also telling herself she was not a girly chicken (it did affect her, somehow pompous jerks like Akutsu could make the lamest insults offending). "I just want to teach him a lesson."

And Tezuka only frowned deeper. **"No."**

The others watched the exchanges in part-amusement, but they're actually mostly shocked. They never would have thought that the most stoic people that they know could actually act a bit childish at times.

Ryoma glared at Tezuka but her boyfriend did not flinch a picometer. She mentally screamed in despair.

He was not going to change his mind, was he?

* * *

><p>Ryuzaki Sakuno, after the little argument, went to Oishi. She knew he was trying to calm down himself, after finding out who did all those badthings to his precious teammates. She held his hand and she shyly dismissed and <em>tried<em> to ignore the hoots from some people. She was blushing feircely now and it calmed Oishi down somehow.

"I'm alright." He said, but didn't let go of her hand. "There's still time until we head to the next game. Shall we go for a walk?"

She smiled and nodded. But before anything, she remembered to look around for her best friend. "Reina?"

"She went somewhere, it seems, perhaps trying to blow off some steam. Tezuka was quite firm in refusing her after all."

She nodded and decided not to worry. But as she and Oishi started their walk, she caught glimpse of a familiar tensai who was with that photographer Amou Nami. She didn't notice her feet halt and oishi looked at her line of sight. To their surprise, Fuji said something with that usual expression of his, but the photographer waved him away and blushed fiercely.

She and Oishi looked at each other in puzzlement. Neither even knew those two were even close. But, in the end, Sakuno felt kinda relieved. At least Fuji would have someone to give his attention as her best friend wouldn't be able to give it to him.

"Shall we?" Oishi said with a laugh, apparently amused himself.

And the couple went in for their walk.

**...  
><strong>

"L-Leave me alone!"

"No. Fuji said with a constant expression. "Cuz' I'm bored."

Amou Nami let out a groan, and stomped away, only for the tensai to follow her. What the hell was wrong with this person? He's insane! She knew he was an odd figure ever since their freshman year, but after that... game... she realized he was _insane_!

_-Flashback-_

_Nami hid firmly inside the closet in utter shock of what she heard. Not only was Echizen Ryoma a girl, but these two-the most revered players in the district -were in love with her. She didn't know what to feel but utter shock and she was frozen there for a long time. _

_And when the door opened revealing a shocked Fuji Syusuke. Her hear stopped-and not only because she was in a very embarrassing position. Those rich blue orbs of his..., she never saw it so clear and close before. They stabbed her to the point she forgot how to breathe._

_"What could you be doing here, Amou-san?" _

_"I-I... I was lost and I hid by i-instinct when you two arrived." __Now that she thought about it..., it had been a while since Tezuka left. So Fuji stayed in the room for a long time. Amou felt he had been brooding. _

_"I see." But then to her surprise he sat next to her. "So you must've heard of our conversation." _

_"H-Hai." _

_He then turned to her, and those eyes were daggers. But they were not mad. He was pitying her. And now she realized she was that obvious. _

_"I...I knew before that Tezuka loved Echizen." She said trying her best to be coherent. But as the seconds ticked,his bue orbs seemed to stab deeper and deeper and soon... her tear glands gave in. "I came back here with the resolution of finally confessing. But... it was too late. I know I'm going to be rejected anyway, but I so wanted to... tell him. Now I can't." _

_"I didn't mean to make you cry, Amou-san." he said turning away. And when she took up all her courage to look, she realized he had his eyes closed again... with an expression she never saw before. _

_"You must have felt the same way. I'm sorry."_

_"I felt worse Amou-san, that I am sure." _

_"How can you be sure?" She asked, slightly offended. "You don't know her as long as I knew Tezuka."_

_"Feelings can't be measured like that."_

_"Than how could you say you felt worse?"_

_"They're both friends and teammates of mine, Amou-san. Does that explain enough for you?"_

_"No. You cannot compare our feelings like that. I loved Tezuka for 3 years." _

_"So we're comparing sufferings now?" He laughed sardonically. "You must be a masochist as well." _

_"Wh-What?" She puffed her cheeks. "That was rude to say to a crying girl."_

_"Oh?" He said wearing that innocent mask of his. "But you stopped doing that ages ago?"_

_She stared and stood up. "That's all?" Fuji said and she ignored him. _

_"I dunno, just thought we'd suit each other." Her eyes widened. What was he trying to do? Use _her_ of all people as rebound? _

_"Hell we are." She said, and walked away._

And Fuji had been bugging her since then.

"I think it's only logical though. We're both eligible heart-broken singles."

"We like photgraphy."

"And we have light brown hair with shades of orange."

"I don't care!" She yelled as soon as she had an instinct that there was no one in earshot anymore. "We- YOU cannot use me as a rebound. I am not as bored as you, Fuji!"

Fuji watched that red shade on her face and he knew that it was not purely of anger. "Who said you can't use _me_ as rebound? we both know you don't stand a chance against Reina." He walked closer and she stepped back. But as his pace factor was large in comparison, their faces were soon only 2 inches apart.

"What do you say, _Nami_-san?"

She stuttered and blushed even harder. "S-Shut up and leave me alone!" She yelled just before pushing him away. "Y-You sadist!" She yelled and stomped away with the remaining dignity she had left.

Fuji Syusuke, on the other hand, only watched the girl's back with a mix of emotions.

_She's a good girl, _he noted, slightly feeling guilty of what he was doing. But what could he do? Amou Nami... had strong feelings for Tezuka. Fuji himself put in a lot of strain in their relationship. He was not about to let it happen again when he could help it.

And with that, he sighed.

Now he only wished he would fall for the girl for real.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, on another side of the Public courts, Echizen Ryoma uncharacteristically hid behind a bush. It was the bush right behind the sign-up area. She hid her presence and watched the movements of the staff intently and tried to anticipate their moves so that she could succeed in her plan.<p>

Fortunately, 2 of the staff members momentarily went away with only 1 – a passive looking man at that – left to look over the table. She snuck behind him and flipped the closest paper to her so that it got blown away by a few meters. She stepped back as the staff stood up to get it and immediately grabbed her team's sign-up sheet.

She hid again behind a bush and let out a deep breath. She scanned through it and saw that she was placed in Singles 1, while Tezuka was in Singles 2. She shook her head at his predictable actions before changing the arrangement to its original form.

After writing, she smiled at it with a mix of pride and guilt but immediately shook the thoughts away. She looked at the table again to see that the other two members were back so she couldn't really approach them.

Or could she…?

"Ano… Gomen nasai, I think our sign-up sheet was blown away…" she muttered feigning innocence. Inside she was feeling quite proud that she could actually act (to some degree, anyway). The man from before stood up frantically and apologized, thinking that it was _his _fault.

A twinge of self-hate (in addition to what was already strangling her) attacked Ryoma. But she couldn't really back down _now_, could she? So she just smiled at him and told him it's alright. The boy flushed and bowed in gratitude. "A-Arigatou."

She turned away after that, desperate to find a place where she could compose herself and mentally apologize to everyone for it. So she walked passively to who-knew-where and stopped when she finally saw a vending machine.

Ryoma took a can of Broccolli juice and sat under the shade provided by a random tree to relax herself of the guilt. It was relatively peaceful for a while- until a boy around her size suddenly came running to her screaming that he's blind.

"OW!" He yelled when he tripped over Ryoma's stretched leg, and _then_ continued with his distraught shouting."I'm blind! I'm BLIND! I'M _BLIND!_ Someone help me-"

"Your headband is over your eyes." Ryoma just said nonchalantly, finding the boy quite silly to watch. The boy let out a sigh and immediately arranged his green headband back to its rightful place.

"Arigatou…" he muttered and then his eyes landed on her shirt.

"You're a member of the Seigaku tennis club?"

"Aa…"

"Then you must have come cheer him on, then, too?"

"Him?"

"Echizen Ryoma." He stated effectively causing her to gag her drink involuntarily.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing…" she answered stoically. The boy tilted his head in puzzlement, but proceeded asking her questions anyway.

"How is it there?" She answered something concise.

"The freshmen? What kind of training to they get?" She answered what she could recall Horio and the others did.

"How did he get to become a regular? Did someone recommend him." She shrugged at that.

"How good is he?" She answered the truth, of course. She said: 'One of the best'.

"I hear he was quite small... Is it true?" She muttered something about the unimportance of height which shut the boy up a bit, and then soon he asked _how_ tall 'Ryoma' was. She answered truthfully. Besides, talking with someone like him (especially with his height problem) was surprisingly refreshing.

"Oh wow. He's only 152 centimeters. Like me! Sugoi…" He shouted getting Ryoma to smile internally.

He thanked her for the information and seemed as if he was about to ask more things, when two adults went and approached them to notify her that the games were about to start.

"Let's go Ryoma-kun~" Shiba smiled, and she stood up as well.

'_Ryoma-kun…?'_ was the boy's last thoughts before Ryoma lifted the Seigaku regular jersey on her back.

And so the small boy, too, froze in shock.

**…**

Ryoma followed the two until they were only a about 10 meters away from the team. Along their way, Shiba babbled about the match between Fudomine and Yamabuki. Apparently it ended up badly since most players got injured. Shiba said she was there when that Akutsu-brat said some nasty things about them.

Akutsu…. Singles 2…

She remembered her transgression.

_Twitch_

She paused at the sight of Tezuka watching the doubles match. An even greater attack of guilt overthrew her and she lost all composure. It was fortunate that she was behind the adults since she definitely did not want anyone to see her distraught state.

She immediately ran towards to forest near the court they were playing and climbed a tree so that she has time to compose herself.

'_Calm down, Reina. Calm down!' _she ordered herself as she sat inconspicuously several meters above the ground. She knew doing this to Tezuka was hard – but not _this _hard. She cursed out loud without knowing.

"Shikusoo-"

"Reina? What are you doing there?" A voice from below asked worriedly.

It was Tezuka, unsurprisingly. She was too busy berating herself to notice his presence but the question was what the heck he was doing there. Tezuka, who seemed to have seen her questioning look, answered her unspoken question. "I saw you enter here."

"…"

"So, what are you doing there cursing?" He asked calmly but Ryoma could easily hear the anxiety in his voice. _Great_. She was scamming him and _he's_ worried about her. Why should her conscience act out _now_?!

"What's wrong?" he voiced out, this time with a much more obvious tone of worry. "Look- I'm sorry I didn't allow you to play but you know why I had to do it." He stated apologetically.

_Shit._

"I-It's fine. I-I just want to relax here for a bit."

"Reina." Tezuka called suspicious of her unexpectedly passive reply. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"What are you talking about - haha – I've t-told you everything."

Tezuka didn't buy it though. "You're a bad liar Reina."

'_Yeah. Especially when it comes to _you._'_

"Reina-" he firmly called her again. Ryoma gulped and stared at his beautiful auburn eyes that was practically pleading for her to tell him everything-

"I apologize." She blurted out and then blushed furiously afterwards.

"Why are you apologizing?" He asked sternly. A momentary silence ensued before Reina finally got a hold of herself… well, _somewhat_.

"I… I sort off… y-you see…tinkered with the sign-up sheet…" She whispered and then paled instantaneously at the sight of Tezuka's unfathomable expression.

"Get down here _now_, Reina."

"No." She spat. She wouldn't admit it, but she was definitely scared.

"Reina." He said her name again getting her to flinch. He was annoyed- _very_ annoyed. "Don't make me climb up there."

"Oh, you can do that?" she managed to utter sarcastically. _Oh_ the miracles habits could cause-

"Reina!" He exclaimed in his trademark Captain-tone of voice. Reina winced for a moment but after a second she decided to admit her defeat.

"Hai..."

* * *

><p>Ryuzaki Sakuno stood beside Kuroro Hona and Kumi outside the courts with anxious faces. The doubles 2 pair Fuji and Kawamura just lost 6-3. They never would have thought Yamabuki was so good.<p>

She looked around for her best friend who seemed to be missing in action for the duration of their game. When she finally did see her, she flinched. She just came out of the forest with the captain. She squinted her eyes as if she would see what had happened between them.

It was obviously not good, she could tell. The captain was even more stoic than usual (yes, it's possible) while Reina looked her usual stoic self except the incredibly sad look in her eyes. Sakuno sighed. She just knew they were fighting about something unusual again.

She watched the two stand side-by-side for a while yet neither of them was talking to the other. Sakuno found it cute, really. Despite the tension between them, they would still stay beside each other for as long as they could.

She felt that it was one of her jobs to help them out, though. They _did_ just make up and she just loved seeing them together. So she went closer to them and grabbed Ryoma's arms catching them by surprise.

"May I borrow her for a minute, buchou?" She demurely asked the captain who stared at her for a second before nodding emotionlessly. She looked at Reina who had her eyebrows arched and then pulled her away.

"Where are you taking me?"

"For some 'girl' talk." She responded and made sure that Ryoma had no time to argue.

**…**

They walked around for a while with Sakuno's hands on Ryoma's arm. It enticed quite a few murmurs from their school mates, but in the end they just shrugged when they saw Oishi practically ignoring the two.

Once they were away from people's earshot. Sakuno asked what happened and Reina reluctantly told her the details. "Wow… I'd pay a million to see you do that." Sakuno giggled at her story. It's been quite a while since Reina acted so childishly. Ryoma frowned.

"What are you laughing about?! This is serious-! Mitsu hates me…"

"No, he doesn't. I don't think he can. He was probably just _hurt_." Sakuno said the last word in a way that would make Ryoma feel even guiltier. What could she say? The captain was one of the very few things that could make Reina look so much cuter than she already was.

"…"

"Better think of a very cute way to apologize." she hinted, making Ryoma pout. But they both knew she was thinking of 'some cute way to apologize'. Sakuno flinched when it came to her so quickly.

"Sakuno…?" Reina paused, visibly embarrassed.

"Can you please teach me how to cook?"

* * *

><p>Sengoku Kiyosumi was walking nonchalantly around when he saw <em>them<em>. That girl he was eyeing before and that boy who broke his precious nose! He teleported to them, and he automatically pointed his finger to the boy.

"YOU!"

"Who are you?" He fell anime style.

"Who is he?" Sakuno asked unconsciously tilting her head in the process. Ryoma shrugged getting Sengoku's eyes to widen.

"I dunno."

"Y-You… how _could _you!? You broke my beautiful nose!" he exclaimed getting the two girls to stare at his nose.

"Well, it's fixed now…" Ryoma muttered as-a-matter-of-factly. The idiot didn't say anything for a second, so Ryoma assumed the conversation was over. She gestured to Sakuno that they go and she immediately followed. Sakuno couldn't miss her boyfriend's match, after all.

But before they could completely pass him, Ryoma stared at his nose again.

"…and are you blind? How is _that_ beautiful?"

**…**

The Golden pair's match was a heated one. They almost lost but they graciously won in the end making Sakuno love Oishi even more.

The next battle was between Momoshiro and Sengoku. As the match progressed, Sengoku started calling Momoshiro 'Omoshiro' and Ryoma 'Nose-breaker' getting Eiji and a few others to laugh.

"Nose-breaker, Ryoma? Really?" Horio asked as he stifled his boisterous laughter. Ryoma sighed at her new nickname.

"Apparently I broke his nose before."

"Ah… I wish I had seen that." Eiji mumbled in disapproval. Ryoma smirked in agreement.

"Yeah, I do too…"

**…**

Momoshiro showed great skill and won in the end against the Junior Zenbatsu player – despite his cramp. Of course, this made Banji quite annoyed with his player and made him feel guilty. But he let it go moments later since his prodigy was going to play next. There was no way he was going to lose.

**…**

"Singles 2! Akutsu Jin and Echizen Ryoma! Please proceed to the court." The announcer yelled neutrally, but the ones familiar with the line-up were definitely surprised.

The coach immediately turned towards the unsurprised Tezuka. She was about to ask him how that happened when he saw Ryoma looking intently at him. Tezuka stared at her thoughtfully and sighed.

"Don't let your guard down."

She mentally smiled in relief. "Hai!"

**…**

The game started with Akutsu underestimating the game- -saying it was too easy that it was boring. And that she wouldn't win against him no matter how hard she tried.

Ryoma saw something else hidden within the statement, but she was too blinded by irritation and the hunger for revenge to even care.

"Drive A" she chanted just before hitting the ball to his face. She smirked at the sight of him on the ground back first. It was a technique she invented just now after all. Drive A equals 'Drive to beat Akutsu up'.

"That one was for one of our freshmen." She stated pompously. Kato blushed in delight at her thought and the Horio grinned.

Akutsu remained on the floor, so Ryoma continued talking. "Get up. I haven't taken revenge for Kawamura-senpai." She said recalling what he did at Iceberg's. She felt as if she's forgetting someone though…

"Ah. Don't forget Arai-senpai, too." She said to Akustu but those who knew her know that she was saying that to herself. Arai sweat dropped, while the others chuckled. Her opponent slowly sat up and glared at her.

"You'll pay for that, little shit."

"Heh… Depends on what I'm paying for. I doubt that beating you up would cost much though."

And he growled. Honestly, at this time most of her friends were worried. And rightfully so. Aktsu got serious after that, and... he showed them just how _inhuman_ he could get.

**…**

"2 games to Love!" The umpire announced monotonously. He was too surprised at the game to even show emotions. Akutsu moved in an animal-like way. His reflexes and flexibility was beyond possible. He could change the direction of the ball _after_ he swung his racket rendering Ryoma unable to predict where it would end up.

'_No wonder he knows I'm a girl.'_ She mused irritably. With those type of movements the miniscule difference in her gestures could tell him a lot about her physiology. Plus wild animals could tell, even with minimal sexual dichotomy.

A very fast ball came to her and she managed to hit it back, but he returned it to her with one of those unpredictable moves again.

After the umpire retold the score she stared at her opponent. He wasn't annoyed anymore. If she didn't know better - which she was unsure if she _did_ – she would say he was having… fun?

Darn it. He was supposed to be suffering! How was she going to get her revenge?

Revenge.

She tricked Tezuka for her hunger for revenge. She knew it's not a good need to even feed, but that wasn't the issue. She _lied_ to Tezuka for this, and the least she could do for him was win this game.

But Akutsu was too strong- -even for her. _'What _could_ I do to win, then?_' she thought comprehendingly pushing any sort of anxiety away. She smirked at the only solution she could thing of:

Getting stronger _herself_.

And that, she did.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXXII**

_**Coming Soon:**_

**CHAPTER XXXIII: Cooking**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Frostfire613-** Indeed! And I soooooooo missed writing them so much! T_T Thanks for the comment~! ;D

**The weased is MINE XP-** It is? Oh my~ *blushes*I'm glad that you love this and hope to keep it up~! xD Thank you for the review! :D

**MintLeafeon**-lol. yeah, Akutsu falling head-first would be epic. xD At least it happened in our heads. Haha. Thx for the comment~

**Lady Syndra**- Thank you for the comment! Thank you for the comment! Thank you for the comment! Thank you for the comment! Thank you for the comment! Nyahahah~

**animelover4ever69- **Thanks for the review~! *munches cookies* And for the cookies!xD They taste awesome. Hahaha

**********Natasya Ivashkov********-** N'aw you're not a lousy reader. xD The hints I let out were kinda sublime. hehe. Thx for the comment btw~

**Shadowhawk-** Ahaha. Whew! You sound so experienced in this, my friend. lololol. Okay, knowledgeable's the right term. xD Oh, and I'm glad you liked my poem and thank you for the review~! xDDD

**Yuu-** Geheheh. Karupin~ I missed that cat. xD Thank you for the comment, by the way~

**FranscoiseLaraLapis- **Yeiy~ They're lovey-dovey again. *cackles* And perhaps they'll find out about the Atobe thing... someday. lool. Thx for the review~

**Blueberryxn-** Loooool. Right! Google-sama knows everything. Have faith. xD Thank you for the review, btw!

**Big Sis of 8-** Thank you for the review~! I'm glad you still like this and I'll try my best to keepit that way. xD

**allthingsamazing-** No, Thank you for reading and reviewing! xD And is that so? I'm glad I let the stroy flow nicely, it's a relief to hear that. ;**)**

**********Kikumaruca********t- **Yes~! Nothing major tho. I just love harems. Gyahhaha. I dunno (yet) how to do some more Inui scenes but I'll try~ Thanks for the comment! xD

**Purplescorpion-** I think they made up somewhere in chapter 27.;) hmn.. I guess I was hinting here and there some interactions like the hug in chapter 28 (I think) etc. Mah, you're review's noted and I'll go check it out further once I proof-read several chapters this summer. Thanks for the review~

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><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p>Thanks for reading~! xD<p>

But if you're not in a rush, do pause for a minute or two and do let me know your thoughts. They all motivate me so. ;)


	33. Cooking

**Thanks for reading this far! I really appreciate it. I'm so sorry for the late updates. But no fear-my summer vacation had finally arrived! lolololol**

**I do hope you enjoy reading~ And please don't forget to leave your feedback~! xD  
><strong>

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

* * *

><p>.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXXIII: Cooking<strong>

PUBLIC COURTS

The sun was stronger that day, and so was the wind... but no one noticed.

**_._**

**_BAM!_**

That was that game's final ball. And it landed on a certain silver-head's side of court.

"Echizen Ryoma 6 games to 4!" The umpire yelled getting everyone in the vicinity to shout in celebration – even the opponent team member. It was such a good game that no one cared who won and who lost. The two players showed extreme skill, talent, will, and courage inspiring everyone.

Akutsu honestly never would have thought he could 'inspire' anyone, and hence refused to believe it. He glared at his opponent who approached the net for a handshake.

"Teme –" he muttered under his breath and went closer to her to grab her collar. He saw from his periphery that her teammates gestured to attack him, and he didn't care. He'll take them _all_ on if they wanted.

But Ryoma did not flinch. "You were a good spring board, Akustu-_senpai_." She stated getting his eyes to widen. He let her go begrudgingly but his irritated glare did not diminish.

"Che"

**…**

Akustu left the courts and Banji and the little boy she met earlier followed. Ryoma mentally chuckled at the fact that Akutsu actually attracted such a sweet kid for a friend.

"Good job, Echizen!" Oishi congratulated first, and everyone else did the same. Except for Tezuka. Tezuka was at the back of the crowd, segregated from them, and he was just staring at her.

Ryoma looked at him expectantly as she passively accepted everyone's grins and congratulations. She did that, but she wasn't quite sure what she was actually expecting.

But then, he saw him nod at her approvingly.

Ryoma couldn't be any more relieved.

**...**

The awards ceremony started about an hour after their game. Being the champions, they were the last to enter, and therefore had the grand entrance.

She flinched at the strong questioning and confused stare of two members of a certain opponent school. She never looked at them for fear of how she might react, so she never knew who owned one of those stares. She was sure who owned the other, more annoying, stare though.

_Oh..._, she mused disapprovingly. She could just hear him nagging her at her hospital visit the next day.

* * *

><p>*The next day*<p>

"Come on, Sakuno. Please?"

Echizen Reina was in the middle of pleading (in her standards) over the phone. She heard Sakuno mutter something softly.

"But I haven't even met him in person before-"

"Then don't you think it's time for you to, then? Both of you are my best friends, yet you haven't met yet. Come on, Sakuno-"

"Why don't you bring your brother or mother or father?"

"No way I'm going to bring Oyaji. Mother's in the U.S. for the reunion in her old coworkers, while Aniki's busy studying for his exams tomorrow in the central library."

"..."

"..."

"…Alright, _fine_."

And Reina smiled in relief. "Thank you."

**…**

Sakuno arrived several minutes later wearing a green skirt and beige top. Reina decided to cross-dress that day, since she was with another girl for safety.

Unsurprisingly, they got lost for about an hour and was therefore quite tired when they reached the hospital room.

Seichi blinked at her attire. "Ara… You're cross-dressing again, Reina?"

"I always cross-dress now, Seichi." She smiled as she approached his bed.

"I see…" He whispered comprehendingly. He saw that she was with another girl, so he stopped his questions about her get-up. "Who might that be?"

"Ah. This is Ryuzaki Sakuno."

"Ah. Your first female best friend." He smiled angelically getting Sakuno to blush in embarrassment. Ryoma watched them shake hands in an attempt to ignore the stare from the corner of the room for as long as she can.

"Don't ignore me, commoner. I know you can sense me here."

"Ah. Monkey King. You were there?"

"This is Ryuzaki Sa-"

"I heard that the first time."

"Oi! Don't be rude to my friend Monkey King." She frowned at him, but Atobe just went straight to the point without hiding his irritation.

"Why didn't you tell me you were a _player_?"

"You didn't ask." She replied quite confused at what the big deal was for him. Well, not really as she felt his glares during the awarding ceremony. But all the same she didn't lie to him, and their relationship wasn't quite like her relationship with Tezuka. The priority for pure honesty was exclusive to Tezuka and him alone.

"Wha-" Atobe gasped. "How _could_ you?!"

"How could I _what_?"

"A-Aren't you surrounded by men all the time, then?!" He exclaimed, not particularly answering the question.

"I have been surrounded by men since I was a child, Monkey King. In case you don't remember, my playmates back then were the two of you and Ryoga. Unless, of course, you don't see yourself as a 'man'. "

Atobe growled getting Reina to arched her eyebrows in puzzlement."REINA!"

"What?"

"How c-could you tolerate being around _him_?"

Reina tilted her head. "Him?"

"Tezuka."

"What about him?" Seichi asked, and Reina mimicked him. "Yeah, what about him?"

"Are you sure you just want me to blurt it out in front of them?"

"Well, that depends since I have no idea what you're pertaining to."

"Just say it, Keigo." Seichi said in a way that caught Reina's attention.

"What's wrong with you two?" She sent them a questioning look alternatively. Her stare stopped at her blue-haired best friend. "And how do you know him?"

The two stared at each other. Yukimura sighed. "He defeated me and my teammate in a junior tournament a couple of years ago."

"Really?" Reina voiced out with twinkle in her eyes. Seichi involuntarily raised an eyebrow.

"You seem glad." He mumbled while Atobe scoffed at this and muttered bitterly.

"Of course she is. She has an unrequited love for the guy."

Reina gagged at the statement while Sakuno scratched her head."Pardon?"

"Unrequited?" Reina asked, very annoyed with all the assuming. "Well, just so you kn-"

"I'm not sure if you should tell him, Reina." Sakuno cut her off with a nudge and a whisper.

"Why?"

"Tell us what?" Seichi added suspiciously. Ryoma, seeing that she had no other choice decided to tell them – with much torture, of course.

"That… we've been… uhm… dating for a while now." She muttered embarrassedly while she scratched her cheeks and hid her blush. Although, her expression turned into worry and anxiety at her best friend's reactions.

"WHAT!? *cough* Bu- *cough*" Seichi uttered as he clenched his chest. Reina's eyes widened.

"Seichi! I t-though you had the Gullain-barre syndrome?! N-Not a cardiac disease!" She exclaimed running towards him. She was about to press the nurse's button when he stopped her by holding her hand.

"I'm *cough* fine, Reina. Thank you."

"No you're not! Let go _now_ Seichi. You need a doctor!"

"I said it's fine, Reina. I was just shocked. I don't have a heart disease, don't worry." He stated firmly and looked straight at her eyes effectively calming her down.

"That's a little over the top of the reaction though…"

"If you only knew." He chuckled sadly at her, not reassuring her one bit. She stared at him for a moment and then sat in his bed. She knew he wouldn't like her going steady with someone. But she thought that Yukimura's reaction was only similar to her brother's and father's.

"You can't have me as a sibling forever, you know." She smiled at him. Yukimura patted her head, unsure of whether or not to tell her he did not look at her that way. _She _definitely thought of him as some sort of a second older brother. He wondered if she would still smile at him the same way if he told her his feelings.

He just responded with a smile at first, but then his hand that was originally patting her head moved to her neck. He pulled her toward him to give her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Do you really love him?" He asked her with a mixture of emotions and expectations, but she answered him straightforwardly with not a hint of doubt in her eyes.

"Hai."

Yukimura hugged her tightly afterwards and didn't let go for a several seconds. He let himself savour her touch, her scent, and her warmth for as long as he could for he did not know when he could do so again. When Reina was starting to stir in discomfort and a few possible cramps, he gentled his hold of her but he was still in his arms all the same.

"Then, you have my blessing."

...

Atobe Keigo stood there, frozen – and that was an understatement. He knew that Reina really did love Tezuka, but he _thought_ he knew his rival. He was so sure he just _couldn't_ feel emotions – no matter for who it was.

He didn't fully understand why he was having this reaction _now_ though.

_What?_ Did he, by some chance, hold on to the hope that someday Reina would forget about Tezuka and run to _him_? Did he hope that her affection for Tezuka would become his?

Whatever it was- he wanted to scream his lungs out.

_What the bloody hell was he expecting?_

Heck. He didn't even know he was expecting anything.

**…**

As soon as Seichi let go of her, Reina shifted her gaze to Atobe who was then on his way out the door. "Where are you going, Monkey King?" She asked with her usual haughty tone, but to them..., the worry was evident.

"Home."

"Already?" She asked anxiously, although she didn't show it... much.

"I remembered I have something to do." He lied.

"Like what?"

"That's none of your business."

"Well, if I had to tell you something hard for me to say out loud and then you suddenly go out- then _yes_ it is." She snapped.

"Like I said, I have to go." He stated firmly without looking at anyone. He turned the knob and immediately went out the door.

"Excuse me." Reina said abruptly to Seichi as she completely let go of his grasp. Seichi didn't say anything and just watched her follow Keigo.

As soon as they were outside, Reina started interrogating him.

"Keigo! I… I thought you didn't mind!" she exclaimed, careful to keep her voice low enough as to not disturb other patients. Keigo flinched at the question and immediately went to guard himself.

"I didn't! Why would I?"

Reina paused. "What's wrong, then?"

"Like I _said_-"

"I'm sorry for not telling you I'm a Seigaku regular, and I'm also sorry that I didn't explain to you explicitly that I'm dating Tezuka." She cut him off, believing the Monkey King was mad at her because of those. Atobe did not want her to know, but he didn't want her to believe the wrong thing, either.

He sighed. "It's not your fault Reina." He muttered and then added, "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

"I have someplace else to be."

* * *

><p><em>Tap<em>

_Tap_

Tap

Later that day, Reina as still pondering past events as she walked out of the hospital. Even when Yukimura _explicitly_ instructed her not to look too deeply at Atobe's actions, it was difficult. He said that he was a diva with mood swings and hence no use bothering with him.

But Reina could not help it- Keigo was her friend. And there was the fact that she couldn't seem to shake off the feeling that it was _her_ fault that he was like that. She signed in misery.

Sakuno, who was walking with her, saw her friend's depression and decided to do what she could. She poked her arms to get her attention.

"Ne, Reina…"

"...hmn?" She muttered lazily, still half-dazed. Sakuno smiled at her.

"Want me to teach you cooking _now_?"

* * *

><p><span>RANDOM ROAD IN TOKYO<span>

Meanwhile, Tezuka Kunimitsu was walking along a random road in Tokyo. He just went Reina house to ask her out, but when he arrived only Meino was there. And hence, as he waited, he decided to walk for a while to calm his mind.

He raised his head and looked at the darkening clouds, but he didn't quite register it. His mind was too full of other things at the moment, He... mused how he completely forgot about his promise that he wouldn't do anything she didn't want to and, apparently, _she_ did as well. He was relieved when he recalled because that meant that there was no need for the renewed tension between them. They were both at fault, and they were both punished in unexpected ways already, anyway.

He sighed internally. They had a disagreement twice in a row, but his mother said he didn't need to be so distraught since it happens to normal couples. The statement didn't help his anxiety, though.

Since he knew that he and Reina were _not_ a normal couple.

**…**

_Nanananana~_

Oishi Suichiro smiled (and hummed) light-heartedly as he strolled towards Sakuno's house for a surprise visit. But his feet stopped at the sight of familiar auburn hair. Oishi Suichiro did not expect their captain to be walking aimlessly around.

"Tezuka?" He said to no one in particular at first, but he still expected for his friend to notice him. Oishi decided to call him again."Tezuka?" he called much louder than the first one causing the captain to slowly turn to him.

_How unusual,_ he mused. The captain seemed to be in a daze.

"Oishi. What is it?" He asked in his usual stoic self, but Oishi could still see the state he was _still_ in. That was, reverie. Oishi mentally chuckled at the fact that it could only be caused by one person.

Seriously, their buchou could be so cute at times.

**…**

As they walked, Tezuka soon found himself staring at Oishi. He somewhat assumed that he met Oishi somewhere near his home since Tezuka knew he was mindlessly wandering around. He did not know Oishi was taking him to Ryuzaki's house.

"I'll just stop by and say hello." Oishi smiled getting Tezuka to frown in displeasure. Oishi was obviously planning on staying there for a bit initially, but then _he_ came along and -Oishi being Oishi- he probably felt it was one of his responsibilities to accompany him.

As soon as they reached Ryuzaki's door, Tezuka started talking. "I'll be fine by myself, Oishi. I know you want to spend time with her."

Oishi blushed. "N-No it's fine. We have a lot of time in our hands, after all."

Tezuka saw that he was determined to keep him company, so he decided to be blunt. "Oishi. I would like to be alone."

Oishi blinked and this and uttered, "Aa…"

When Oishi opened the gate, Tezuka started to walk back to the Echizen residence again and hope that Reina was finally home. After a corner or so, though, he felt a drop of water land on his skin. He immediately looked around for perspective shade.

None.

He shook his head in disapproval.

**…**

RYUZAKI'S KITCHEN

The sound of frying and the sound of steel gently hitting steel. The simmers and the pleasant heat surrounded the air. That was how one would describe the current state of Ryuzaki's kitchen. But, interestingly, there were stifled laughter in the air.

Oishi had to try beyond his capacity to stop himself from laughing.

_Pfft-_

But he stopped himself. (barely) it would be rude to laugh. It was still rather difficult, though...

After all... at the moment, he was watching Ryoma with Sakuno as she _tried_ to make something edible. He watched Ryoma crack some eggs, although that was literally what she did- crack it, with the insides of the eggs splattered around.

She tried to use a knife, but Sakuno would not let her.

She almost put some water into the heated pan, too. They were just thankful that she knew quite a few things about science so she avoided that certain violent reaction.

When it was finally her 10th attempt to cook in the pan, Ryoma _finally_ seemed to have gotten the hang of it. Several seconds had passed and there had yet to be a hazard. It was a silent moment of success.

It was short-lived though, for they were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.

_DING DONG_

"Could you get that please? I can't leave her alone…" Sakuno asked a favour of him, Ryoma scoffed, and he unquestioningly followed. Oishi opened the door and saw Tezuka. He was about to ask him what was wrong when he saw that it was starting to rain and Tezuka's house was quite far from there.

He looked at the door head for a moment in ponder before looking back down to his friend. "Come in." He said, effectively making him rouse a brow.

"Are you sure it's alright? Where's Ryuzaki-san?" Tezuka asked him thinking it was rude to just barge in without her consent. The coach wasn't home until the next morning and it was the reason they didn't have morning practice the next day, but it was still rude even if the owner left was his kouhai.

Oishi just smiled at him. He was about to tell her how his girlfriend was helping _his_. But before he could say anything, he got an idea.

"She's… busy at the moment. She can't leave the kitchen- follow me." Oishi stated with an odd smile Tezuka had never seen on him before. It's actually similar to the knowing look women appear in.

_TAP _

_Tap _

_ta-_

Tezuka gulped. He didn't even absorb Sakuno was there, acknowledging his presence. He was frozen.

Oishi grinned and Sakuno did the same as soon as she comprehended the situation. They stepped back simultaneously and watched Ryoma with the captain in their peripheral view.

Fortunately, Reina was too busy trying _not_ to burn Sakuno's house that she barely noticed all the commotion just a few meters away from her.

After a few minutes had passed, Sakuno was starting to believe Reina will actually be able to do it. She unconsciously put her hands on her chest in relief. But her nice little moment was cut immediately after.

"AH!" Reina yelled in surprise as the pan burned and fire rose several centimeters high. Having good reflexes, she instantaneously stepped back to reach the fire extinguisher. A second later, though, she already saw foam all over the pan.

During her moment of panic, she thought that maybe she magically used the fire extinguisher without touching it. But that, of course, lasted only for a split second. She looked at who actually used the extinguisher and saw Tezuka. His eyes were wide in fear and shock.

He abruptly put the extinguisher down to the floor and approached her. He was so quick and she was too surprised that Reina was not able to move. Tezuka tightly grabbed her shoulders… and started scolding her vehemently.

"What do you think you're _doing_?!" he yelled and then looked at the mess. He did not know cooking could be so dangerous, and if he did know that Reina was _this_ bad at cooking he would've made sure she would never do it.

"You could have been _burned_!"

Reina looked at him in befuddlement. She did not expect to see him _here_- especially not nagging her on what she should and should not do.

"I'm cooking. And I am not burned." She snapped at him getting him to frown deeper. She was trying her best not to stutter in front of him. Tezuka saw this, and then sighed in an attempt to calm down.

"Reina. Don't ever cook again, understand?" He muttered gentling his hold of her. It was a statement full of concern, but it hurt Reina more than necessary all the same.

"Yadda." She managed to shoot back and tilted her head down to hide her face. Tezuka's eyes widened at the sudden change in her tone of voice. He gulped and moved his right palm from her shoulder on to her cheeks.

"Reina-"

"Leave me alone." She muttered as she avoided his hands. Tezuka flinched in surprise and she took advantage of it to force herself out of his hold. Reina immediately ran outside the kitchen and went upstairs.

"Reina!" Sakuno yelled in anxiousness, while the other two boys could not move.

"I'll be in your room until _he _leaves!" was all Reina replied.

And they didn't hear from her again.

Not for several minutes, anyway.

* * *

><p>After a slight recovery from beingdumstruck, Tezuka was led to the living room. By that time, Sakuno and Oishi had already cleaned up the mess in the kitchen.<p>

"Did you know why she tried to cook?" Tezuka shook his head at first. But then he flinched all of a sudden when he remembered what she said in the rooftop all those days ago- that she'd try to cook _him_ something. His eyes widened, but before he could say anything Sakuno already continued.

"She wanted to make it up to you…"

* * *

><p>Reina brooded near Sakuno's window. It seemed that it rained a few minutes prior since the leaves collected quite a bit of water. She absentmindedly watched the water drop from the leaves, until she heard a knock.<p>

"Who's there?" She asked in a way people would think she locked herself in her _own_ room.

"It's me." The actual owner of the room replied. "You need to come out now."

"Is he still there?"

"No." Sakuno stated, but Reina knew she was lying.

"If I go out there and find that he's still there, then I'll run back up here and will never come out again." She said firmly. She didn't _really _mean it, and she would never truly _not_ want to see Tezuka. But she was just too stubborn.

"…"

"Che."

"Reina-"

"I'll stand by my word…"

"… fine."

Reina let out a deep breath and resumed to staring outside. She let several minutes pass to make sure that he had already left when she comes out. She stared blankly at the leaves again expecting to watch what she had been staring at several minutes prior.

Unfortunately she didn't, she did not see rain drops falling from the leaves – it was a certain someone knocking on the window.

She glared at him through the transparent surface getting more and more desperate not to give in. She did have her pride- a huge one at that- despite her eagerness to show how much she didn't hate him.

And the ignoring thing was all going nicely until she saw a few raindrops fall down from the sky…

_Darnit_

She immediately slid the window open and let him in before he got anymore exposed to the rain. "Thank you." He smiled at her getting her to blush lightly. She pushed it away instantaneously, of course. She quickly thought of a counter.

"I think I saw something similar to what you did in television before…"

"Yes… it's quite cliché, I think."

"Why'd you do it, then?

"Because I don't think you'll allow me through the door." He stated and Reina did not say anything.

"You can really act like a child- locking yourself in a room. And it's not even yours." He muttered with his baritone voice and Reina could tell he was half-joking.

"I_ am_ a child." She replied, recalling the same line come out of her mouth before, but this time it didn't have the annoyed tone of voice it had. She went to the door to open it since there was no longer any reason to keep it locked. But before she could turn the knock, huge yet utterly familiar arms wrapped around her back.

"Mitsu…" She mumbled under her breath. Tezuka tightened his hold of her and kissed her head.

"I'm sorry I hurt you." She sighed.

"I'm sorry I can't cook. I know it's an unattractive trait for a woman…" she replied sadly. Tezuka raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?"

"Isn't that the way things are?" she asked. She didn't like being traditional, but being a good wif-woman for Tezuka sounded so… nice. She was pulled out of her trance by a lovely chuckle from the person behind her.

"No it is not. Besides, I don't think it's an issue because _I'm_ not bad at cooking." He answered bluntly causing Reina to turn her head towards his direction.

"How _rude_. Bragging like that-"

Tezuka chuckled at her obliviousness. He was implying something cheesy, but she was just too dense to get it. It was odd how smart yet idiotic she was.

"I know… Gomen ne."

"Ne, Mitsu… Mind cooking for me, then?" Reina looked at him seriously and he smiled, before kissing her forehead.

"I'd be glad to."

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXXIII**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XXXIV: Sea Monster**_**  
><strong>_

* * *

><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Blueberryxn- **Ahahaha. Nowadays who _doesn't_ depend on Dr. Google? XD And high-five for not-so-good students! hahaha. Thanks for the comment btw~

**mysweetcat-**haha. I'll try to make the apology cute! xD Emphasis on the 'Try'... hahahaha. At least she'll try, right? Oh, and thank you for the comment~

**MintLeafeon- **Thanks for the comment~! And oh my~ xD Hope I did some of it justice. xD I mean, the justice with Akutsu thing. loooool. You can be honest, of course. xD

**Natasya Ivashkov- **Yeah. But it may depend on the situation. xD Who knows, right? Maybe someday it'll be good thatAkutsu'll tell. Hehe. Thank you for the comment~!

**Guest [3/2/13]- **lololol. I agree! Cooking is dangerous! It was why I, myself, never cooked before. xD Thanks for the comment, by the way~!

**Frostfire613- **Thank you for the comment~! Hope this was a good enough chapter but do tell me if you feel otherwise~! ;D

**Shadowhawk-** hahaha. Thanks! I'm glad what they did didn;t seem so... weird. haha. And no worries~I'm planning on giving Fuji a happy ending. xxD I jus thought it was hard to let Atobe enter as a rival when Fuji was still... available, I guess. xD Thank you for the review, btw~!

**PurpleScorpion- **Hahaha. Agree~ It was impossible to remain mad at Reina for long, esp. if you were Tezuka. xD And my~ I didn't know Unacha was his fav. food! /shot. xD Thanks for the comment~! haha

**FranscoiseLaraLapis**- Hahaha. Hope the cooking thing this chap was nice enough. lolololol. Tell me what you thought! xD Thank you for the review, by the way~!

**kikumarucat- **Soon! I will add them soon. xD I just need to make sure Fuji over there gets his stability back or something. hehe. And sorry if I wasn't able to detail the match. T_T Anyway, thanks for the comment~

**xDarkxKurokox-** Nyuahahah. Petty couple fight. xD That is so couple-y of them! hahahah. Ah, and thank you for the review~! xDD

**CurrentlyInLove- ***blushes* Mou... xD I love you too~ hahah. And I'll update Preservation soon! Only a few pages left and proofreading and it'll be out. haha. Sure, I'll consider the Akutsu thing. xD And finally, thank you for the review~!

**BurnedSpy- **Ahaha. Gomen gomen, it wasn't supposed to stop there originally. xD But I lost ideas. hahaha. thank you for the comment, btw~

**LunaLightSerenade- **Thank you for the review~! And here it is! I can only hope it was somewhat worth the wait! hahaha. And you're my kabayan! Hi kabayan~ xD

**The weasel is MINE- **Yay~ Glad you think this is getting good! xD I was slowly getting scared that the story's being otherwise. xD Thanks for the review, btw!

* * *

><p><strong>...<strong>

* * *

><p>Thank you so so so so much for reading this far!<p>

Hope you enjoyed but whatever the case you may be honest with me. xD  
>In any case, do let me know your thoughts!<p> 


	34. Sea Monster

**THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR! Once again this is a filler-y type of chapter. xD I thought it was a nice idea after all the angst, but I dunno. xD Special hugs to those who review, fave, followed, and C2d this story. :) **

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXXIV: Sea Monster<br>**

ECHIZEN HOUSEHOLD

It was yet another dreaded Monday but luckily for the tennis club members, there was no morning practice that day, so most of them decided to sleep in. Especially little Reina, of course.

The captain, though, had an extremely strict biological clock hence he woke up early anyway. He went to the temple the same time he always had.

"Ara? You're early as usual. Had any breakfast yet?" Rinko asked as soon as she opened the door. Tezuka nodded and told her that he was just going to wait for her outside.

He walked to the courts slowly and just stood there in reminiscence. A lot of things happened in this court. It was one of the main places he and Reina spent time together. It was masterfully hand-made, which made it more impressive. He then recalled _who_ made the courts and involuntarily remembered his game with him. That Samurai Zone would help take a huge amount of strain on his body-

"Oi, Gaki." A certain monk woke up early as well as if to interrupt his daze. He was staring at Tezuka and then to the courts.

"Wanna play?"

**…**

Nanjiroh won again, unsurprisingly. But the old monk was definitely startled at the boy's improvement despite his arm injury. He had never seen a person with so much potential as his children… and _him_, of course. At that moment, he decided to help the boy out.

Only the **best** for his daughter!

"Gaki! Have you practiced the Samurai Zone yet?" He asked bluntly getting Tezuka to flinch by a millimeter.

"…I tried."

"And…?" He raised a brow. Tezuka sighed.

"I would need some more practice."

Nanjiroh grinned. "Practice with me, then." he said proudly, making the stoic buchou bow at him in gratitude.

**...**

/_Later_/

Reina slept soundly with fluffy Karupin beside her. She was dreaming of a smiling face. Who else could have owned it other than Tezuka? He repeatedly called her name fondly.

"Reina." He called again.

"Reina. It's time to wake up." He repeated. She only stirred.

"Reina." He said in a more affectionate way than before, albeit with a hint of amusement. She smiled.

"Mitsu…" she mumbled without as much as batting an eyelid. She heard him chuckle, before feeling additional weight on her bed.

And before she knew it, something soft was on her lips. It felt familiar…

She continued to experience while her consciousness was still mostly in La-la land. She slowly roused from her lethargy, and soon enough she finally woke up.

She did not flinch, though. Her eyes only widened slightly, but they immediately returned to their normal form. Tezuka's kisses were just so lovely and gentle that one would feel relaxed even if one was indulged in it all day. She realized that she was unknowingly kissing him back while she was half-asleep and Tezuka didn't even notice that she was already awake.

She grinned internally and decided to surprise him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and slightly deepened the kisses. She felt him flinch for an instant, but he deepened the kisses with her all the same.

He entered his tongue onto her mouth getting her eyes to widen. It was odd, it was the first time they did this but their tongues seemed to know precisely what to do. They let their bodies passively follow the sensuous flow until Tezuka abruptly separated from her.

With his elbows supporting his weight, he didn't hide the surprised expression he was then feeling. At least Reina succeeded in what she initially planned. If _only_ she didn't see a hint of terror in his eyes….

"Mitsu? Are you alright? I'm sor-" She mustered an anxious apology only to be cut off by Tezuka getting even more serious than usual. He frowned and let his forehead touch hers to tell her something of vital importance to him.

"Don't you _ever_ do that again."

**…**

Tezuka looked at her eyes that was suddenly struck with confusion. He recalled the first steps he took into the room, and he had to admit it wasn't anything less innocent. Rinko really just asked him to wake Reina up.

He had never been into her room before. He never would have expected to see so many stuffed toys piled in a corner of her bedroom. He couldn't help but smirk at an image of Reina playing with them. He stared at her for a while and watched her sleep with her cat right beside her. She was truly the most beautiful person that ever existed in his eyes, and that would never change.

Rinko asked Tezuka to wake Reina up since her brother was still away while she _hated_ it when her father woke her up. He wanted to ask why Rinko would not do the honors, but didn't. Both of them liked the idea, after all.

He called her name once, but she only smiled. Her cat was the one that woke up.

"Reina, it's time to wake up." He said and she stirred making him smile. Her cat though, climbed down the bed to avoid getting hit by her moving body. He called her again, but this time she called his name.

He automatically responded to her call and he sat to her bed. He arranged her hair that was all over her face to make her more comfortable, but he couldn't stop himself from doing anything else.

He placed his lips on hers and gave it incessant yet gentle kisses. She was half-asleep and was kissing him back, which made his actions all the more enticing. He slightly felt that he was being like some sort of maniac.

Then she suddenly had to do _that, _and the impulses he had tried so hard to contain suddenly poured out. He was _fifteen_! The age of raging hormones. He immediately pulled away as soon as he regained his control – which, terrifyingly, took longer than he would have preferred.

Damned hormones.

And he felt like a monster in a sea full of them.

"_Don't you ever do that again_." He said and saw confusion and hurt in her face soon afterwards, getting him to feel guilty. He immediately sat up and he pulled her up as well. He was _supposed_ to be just waking her up.

"It's not you, Reina. Don't worry."

"Then what is it?"

"If you do that… My limit may reach its end."

Reina's eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Limit for what?"

"… Self-control." He replied getting her to scoff.

"Like that can ever happen."

"Yes, it can. Especially if _you're _the one trying to subside it."

"What?"

"Nothing." He muttered under his breath and he abruptly sat up causing Reina to frown in annoyance.

"Oi! That was so rude!"

He laughed lightly at her expression. "I know. Now, it's time to go to school."

* * *

><p><span>HYOTEI GAKUEN<span>

Oshitari Yuushi watched their captain as he violently hit balls on the wall in solitude. It had been going on for almost an hour now, but the silver-haired boy didn't change expressions. He was frowning – not too deeply – but his glare definitely told him everything.

"How long are you going to stand there, Oshitari?" Atobe asked irritably shifting his glare to his teammate.

"Until you decide to actually go to the courts and join us in rational training."

Atobe raised an eyebrow. "This is not training?"

"No. That's venting your anger to the wall."

Atobe frowned deeper and immediately returned to hitting the wall. This time, though, it was his strongest hit that placed quite a dent on the poor wall. "Go away." He mumbled under his breath.

Oshitari did not flinch. He couldn't – not when their captain was like this. He maintained his cool. "I'm your friend, Atobe, you can tell me anything." He stated serenely consequently getting Atobe to calm down for a bit. Atobe stood there and stared at the wall for a moment before speaking,

"I hate myself, Oishitari."

"Pardon?" He asked not sure if he heard the statement correctly. Atobe glared at him, not wanting to repeat it again. "No offense, but I had no idea you are capable of that."

"Neither do I."

"Do you know what made you feel this way?" He asked calmly as he slowly approached him. He couldn't help but feel anxious considering this was the first time he had heard Atobe so distressed to the point that he forgot to use 'Ore-sama' to refer to himself.

"Of course I do, I'm not stupid. Now, mind leaving me alone?"

"Not until you return to your usual, great, self." He just stated firmly, he wanted to ask what made him like that but he knew it would be too prying. He knew he'll find out eventually.

"I am _always_ great."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

"Great people don't brood for a whole hour _while_ at school- when his team is expecting him to do otherwise."

He growled. "Ore-sama does _not_ brood!" He could feel the captain's anger broiling, then.

"Prove it." Oshitari smirked smugly effectively firing Atobe up. Perhaps, he got _too_ fired up.

**"Che –_ Oshitari! _Run 40 laps around the courts!"**

And Oshitari mused, in amusement mind you, that the great Atobe looked like he had the great sea monster Kraken as a familiar.

* * *

><p><span>SEIGAKU TENNIS COURTS, After-school Practices<span>

A fourteen year-old boy of unknown origin had found his way in front of the Seigaku school gates. He combed back his seaweed-like hair and sighed, thinking how much his senpai-tachi would nag him. He fell asleep in the bus and he ended up _here._ Admittedly, though, he was slightly thankful he actually knew the school (by name) and so decided to fill his waiting-for-the-bus time roaming around.

He looked around for the tennis courts until he finally reached it. He actually arrived there unnoticed at first, so he heard quite a few conversations and… monologues. He primarily heard about a conversation about an Echizen Ryoma and how he was assigned for cleaning duty. Apparently the boy was 'all-that' since a few of his teammates couldn't imagine him sweeping at all. The monologue-ing was done by an older woman taking pictures of the team in delight.

"Isn't she too old to be a fan girl?" He mutters getting her senstitive-to-the-word-"old"-ears tingle. She glared at him and immediately stomped to him. She stated her (old) age of 22 proudly and started nagging him. Fortunately, the old hag's phone rang and she had to go away immediately. He flinched when she suddenly took a picture of him and swore sweet revenge.

Soon enough, he got bored watching and went inside the courts. When someone asked him what he was doing there he bluntly answered that he was spying, not really knowing what that would cause.

The suspicious silence that followed was cut by _the_ great Tezuka Kunimitsu entering the courts getting _everyone_ – even him- to flinch under his presence. (Was that guy just a year older than he was? Then again, the buchou and fukubuchou had auras way beyond their ages). So yeah. Lucky for him, he had been exposed to intimidating auras already so he was able to regain his usual arrogant self fairly quickly.

He smirked and pointed at the amber-haired buchou. "Play a game with me." He said, and then grinned proudly. Indeed, he just challenged the man who defeated the 2 people _he_, Kirihara Akaya, couldn't.

Unfortunately, Tezuka was a person who sternly abided by the rules, muttering something about getting official letters from his school board blah blah _blah._

Leaving the boring details aside, Kirihara insisted. And insisted. And insisted... angering the tennis team more every time. One person even hit a tennis ball behind his back. He got it effortlessly, but when he tried to hit it back (to his back) he sort of hit the wrong person causing quite a bit of a domino effect.

The inside of the courts ended up with men lying around, with balls and baskets scattered. The chain, though, really ended at an extremely scary-looking boy with a bandana, who growled like a wild animal. It was then that Kirihara felt a strong aura emitting from the captain-

_Gulp_

And so, he ran for his life.

**...**

Echizen Ryoma was irritated… _very_ irritated. To think she had to _clean_ instead of being in club activities annoyed her to no end.

By cleaning, though, it did not only mean sweeping – something Ryoma definitely despised. She had to clean after Horio, too, who at the time had a run-in with very arrogant upperclassmen. She usually would like to teach them a lesson, but not _now_, when she was supposed to be at the club (with Tezuka).

But then, at the height of their bullying, they stepped beyond a line when they destroyed the nice pile of leaves that they spent quite some time cleaning.

Ryoma was definitely going to make them regret that.

**…**

Kirihara watched what unfolded with blunt interest with many other students that barely noticed he was wearing a different uniform.

The little boy, who was obviously a tennis player, was crushing a bald basketball player in a free-throw match. He was stepping back a few steps every time and was hitting a tennis ball with a _broom_ amazing everyone on sight. He smirked at the pressured bald guy and laughed hysterically when he finally missed.

The little kid was good – really good. But Kirihara knew he could do the same feat. The kid, then, stepped back several steps to a familiar distance from the basket – the length of a tennis court. A boy with bushy-eyebrows threw him a tennis racket before he started dribbling.

The boy threw the ball up and elegantly hit the ball to the precise center of the net, taking everyone's breaths. After comprehending what just happened, everyone save for Kirihara cheered vehemently. They even watched the basketball players in amusement as they were forced to clean in the kid's place.

Soon the crowd dispersed leaving the main people and him in the courts. The bush-browed guy left a little after as well reminding them to go to the courts for practice after getting ready as well.

Kirihara, though, was still frozen at the spot. He knew he would be able to do something just as amazing, but the boy's grace and charisma as a tennis player caught him off-guard.

Kirihara would like to play with him someday.

But not now, he had his team waiting. So, coolly, he turned around and headed to the bus station.

...

An hour later, Kirihara was glaring into thin air.

He got lost. HE BLOODY GOT LOST!

'_What the hell is with this freakishly huge school, anyway?' _He irritably complained to himself. He continued to stomp on the then student-less school ground in irritation getting him to carelessly walk from corner to corner.

An accident was bound to happen… and it _did_. He bumped into something much smaller than he was, but they both found their asses on the ground anyway.

"Watch it!" he shouted gaining himself a glare from the all-too-familiar boy he bumped to.

Kirihara pointed rudely at the boy. "It's you!"

"Who are you?"

"YOU!"

"Like I _asked_ – you dolt – Who are you? And what are you doing here?" The kid asked irritably and stared at his uniform. Kirihara's eye twitched at the middle word, but he cleared his throat in a vain attempt to remain composed (…as if he was _before_).

"I go by the name of Kirihara Akaya – I'm the ace of the best tennis team in the country." He stated coolly.

"Really?"

"Really."

"But you're from another school."

"Of course I am-_HEY!" _He yelled. "Seigaku is _not_ the best tennis team!"

"What did you just say, Baka-Merman?"

"I said my name is Kirihara Akaya – and why_ merman_?!"

"Because you look like one." The blasted brat spat. "And Seigaku _is_ the best team."

"How did that hap– and you _wish_. Rikkaidai is the best!"

"Rikkaidai?"

"Yes. I'm sure you have heard of us."

"Nope."

His eyes widened. "You're lying."

"Urusai. Now go away, merman. I have to go back to the courts."

"Oi! You didn't even answer my question!"

"Seaweed hair, seaweed eyes, fishy facial pictures, and webby hands."

"I do not have webby hands-" he exclaimed and involuntarily looked at his hands, flipping it from face to face. His eyes twitched.

"-and HOW _RUDE_!"

"My mistake. I just assumed it. Gomen, gomen." The boy shrugged, sounding cynical. "Now, shoo."

Kirihara's eyes twitched. If only he could say something witty- But he told himself to be a mature young lad, like his upperclassmen told him to-

He decided to coolly walk away, and the kid did too. He paused, wasn't the kid supposed to be going to the courts?

"Isn't the courts that way?" He voiced out.

The kid winced. "I knew that."

And Kirihara found a very annoying grin on his face. "Liar."

The kid whipped his head to him and glared. Kirihara almost cringed, almost, and glared back... before finding his smirk back on his face again. "You got lost didn't you?"

"And you didn't?"

"This is your school, can't imagine what'll happen to you elsewhere."

"Che." Was all he said, and walked away, oozing with 'I don't have time to play around with idiots. I'm too mature for that.' that made him want to stomp his feet in annoyance. "If I were you, I'd be looking for a way to go home.

"_Baka."_

* * *

><p>Tezuka was staring at the sky as he sat on a bench, alone in the courts, and waiting for a certain someone. He was alone since Ludwig was probably at Michael's house playing some video game Oishi bought them. When he finally heard the metal gate open, he smiled and turned to look at her direction.<p>

"I was about to look for you."

"But we probably would've missed sights of each other on the way."

"Depends, really. Since I know most of the time you'd be in places far away from your actual destination."

"Really, Mitsu? Really?" Reina raised a brow in uncharacteristic playfulness. Tezuka seemed to have a knack for insulting her when it came to these things.

"Yes, Reina, really." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist without standing up. She grinned back and leaned down to give him a peck.

They stared at each other's eyes for a second before doing so again. It was just a series of gentle pecks, but really though, they really couldn't have had it any other way.

If only there wasn't anyone watching them…

.

.

And this little slip-up caused quite a ruckus on another school the next day.

* * *

><p>It was inside the club room that Kirihara Akaya hid in the corner in fear, during the time he should be doing his morning routine with the other regulars. But instead of moving, he recalled that time... a few weeks back, when he saw two guys with Tennis bags with names Fudu-something holding hands and looking at each other intimately. Weird thing was one has blue hair and the other one's red. So he cringed immediately since their son might get violet hair and everyone knew he hated violet.<p>

Then there was this rumor about the tensai Fuji Syusuke declaring love for some male freshman...

And then who? TEZUKA KUNIMITSU. _The _TEZUKA KUNIMITSU.

He mentally groaned.

Gays. _**Gays** everywhere!_

Yanagi eventually arrived unannounced inside the room. He wasn't noiseless but it seemed his kouhai had no idea there was someone elsein the room now. He watched him continue hiding in a corner with dark auras of depression surrounding him. Morning practice was going to start and he, unfortunately, was assigned to get this particularly troublesome kouhai.

"We won effortlessly, Kirihara, no need to feel _that_ bad." He said, pertaining to their previous game. Kirihara whipped his head to him, eyes brimming with despair.

"It's not that Yanagi-senpai!"

"What is it then?" He asked but then flinched as he suddenly sat up and grabbed his hand. Kirihara was kneeling with his hands grabbing his, and pleaded.

"Tell me I'm not gay senpai!" He begged, but considering the position the boy had put him in it was really hard to say-

_FLASH!_

They blinked and immediately turned to the direction of the sound... and paled.

_CLICK! CLICK! FLASH! CLICK! _

"Dear God- this is gold! No- PLATINUM!" Marui Bunta stated with his eyes wide in surprise and delight. He continued his unremitting clicking in amusement. His co-witness was laughing hard on the floor.

"SHAHAHAHHA! Oh my fucking gods!" Niou Masashi grabbed his stomach to stop it from exploding violently… in vain though…

"What's going on here?" Their stoic vice captain, who went closer after hearing all the irritating noise, asked. He shifted his gaze at the centers of the commotion. His eyebrows arched in an attempt to load what he was seeing objectively.

But his red-haired and the silver-haired teammates, though, made sure that did not happen.

"Kirihara just proposed to Yanagi!"

The Buchou blinked and stared at the two comprehendingly. They couldn't say anything but just stare in terror at how humiliating everything looked like. Yukimura Seichi just let out his trademark smile.

"Good luck with that, then." He said. "Just please don't make out during practice."

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXXIV**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XXXV: Prelude**_**  
><strong>_

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**emina15-** I didn't! I'm sorry. xD I just tried out the new 4-character tagging feature and was unaware they alphabetize it. xD Gomen. The pair will remain Pillar. And thanks for the comment!

**animelover4ever69- ***cackles* Tezuka's making you jealous with Ryoma's inedible food? hahahaha. You're so nice. xDD And thanks for the comment, of course!

**Natasya Ivashkov-** hahaha. Okay, I'll introduce you two. xD He'll be able to get over Reina in no time! haha. And yeah, it had been too long. xD Thanks for the comment, btw! ;D

**MintLeafeon-** Thank you for the review and I'm glad you still find them cute! Ahahahaha Hope I can keep making adorable Pillar Pair moments. xD Again, thank you! ;) And yes, too bad she was a horrid cook. xD

**Shadowhawk-** Indeed! Reina's love life is too complicated. And not to mention she's 12! xDD I'm not saying anything else about the childhood friends tho. Gehee. And glad you liked the cooking scene! xD Thanks for the review!

**Big Sis of 8**- I dunno what you mean but I'm glad I made you happy! ahahahhaha. *hugs* And thank you for the comment~!

**FranscoiseLaraLapis-** Yep! Good think Tezuka knows how to cook. xD *cough* He'll be doing the cooking after they get *cough* Married. lol. Thanks for the comment!

**Blueberryxn- **Nyahahah. True that! xD I was actually trying to give her a believable flaw but failed miserably. hahaha. It was a flaw, alright though, just not... haha. Thanks for the comment!

**PurpleScorpion-** I'm jelly! I'm stuck here in QC. xD Wherever you are, may my will be there with you. haha. And really? That's cool, thanks foor telling me! And I'm currently on my way conditioning myself for yaoi so I can read yours! They all look so interesting! And thanks for the review~

**rjifblue- **Hahaha. I'll try! xD And yeah, now that you mention it I would love to see it sooner as well. (I planned showing it during their married life) haha. Thanks for the comment and hope _you_ update as well! xDD

**Offtotralalaland- (ch31)** I'm happy you thought so! I can tell you they'll be lovey-dovey for a while. xD** (Ch32)** hahaha. You think so? I agree. Petty fights are so much fun to watch. lololol** (Ch33) **Hehe, yeah. Hope you liked that chap! And finally, thank you for the reviews!

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><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>THANK YOU FOR READING!<br>I hope you enjoyed but whatever you thought or want to rant about I'm happy to read all of them! Hehehe


	35. Prelude

**Thanks for reading! xD Again, special hugs to those who let me know of their presences by reviewing, fav'ing, following, and even C2ing the story. Thanks so much folks~! xD**

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXXV: Prelude<strong>

_Pak!_

"Go Mike-kun!"

_Pak!_

"Go Go Ludchan!"

_PAK!_

Cheers were heard that morning as the two kids were having a game, as a sort of opening for the ranking tournaments. The coach saw the improvement and wanted to show something to a few of the members that the kids were catching up to them.

Ryuzaki looked around and smirked at the fact that her plan, indeed, worked. She watched as the two kids, who were so stoic before, showed light in their eyes. It was all thanks to tennis and all its greatness. The best thing about it was that the kids even showed huge potential.

Ryuzaki Sumire swore she'd recruit them when they came of age.

Anyway, she continued watching the audience occasionally for the heck of it. She saw the journalism club's Amou Nami was back in her habit of lurking around in the courts and taking pictures. The girl had an aura of seriousness when she did her job before but something was off that day and her old woman's eyes couldn't quite put a finger on it.

That was until…, she was pointing at an area and automatically flinched and slid the point-of-view away immediately. She took a look at what Amou was avoiding and realized it was her regulars. Fuji and Inui to be exact, but something told her Inui wasn't the reason.

Soon enough, she realized Amou was always on the opposite of side the courts wherever Fuji was in, as if putting maximum distance between them. Fuji seemed nonchalant as always though, but she could see the mix of amusement in there and, well, guilt?

Anyway she continued to watch the girl as she took pictures with seriousness of a professional. Heck, if she would say so herself, Amou Nami was even more professional than Shiba Saori.

**…**

"_Hachoo!"_

"Excuse you." Inoue said, keeping his eyes primarily on the road. Shiba blushed slightly before wiping her nose, saying something like some admirers must be talking about her. Inoue just _had_ to scoff at that rudely.

Shiba breathed in to at least try to be mature and calm down. It wasn't working much, but she was managing to be lady-like somehow. At least compared to her old self. She shook away the thoughts of a very and naturally lady-like person with the name of Meino Nanako and continued looking at the road.

They were then driving to Seigaku, much to her puzzlement. Her senpai just said something about that little twerp being the ace of the country's best tennis team – Rikkaidai Fuzoku – but they were going to Seigaku? Don't get her wrong, she loved the team particularly Ryoma (who, to her further confusion, was being called 'Ryoma-chan' by Inoue-senpai when he wasn't thinking).

It didn't take long though, to find out why exactly her Senior wanted to go to Seigaku. It was another one of their famous Ranking tournaments to determine who would fight in the Regional tournaments. Thinking about the players, she muttered something about how easy to predict the outcome, but she was quickly corrected by Inoue, pointing at a certain boy with highly reflective eyeglasses to make his point.

Inui was looking even more serious than usual. But because the boy was so good with what he had always done, she had this assumption he'd always be the manager. It seemed like she was wrong.

She turned her line of sight slightly to the view adjacent to Inui. She saw the two kids jogging, seemingly very happy. She did her little research on them, and she was truly glad they were having fun in their new home.

Soon enough though, her attention was called back by Inoue announcing her Ryoma was going to play.

She hurried to the court. To do her job, of course.

And maybe do a little fangirling.

* * *

><p>Ryoma won against with a score of 6-3. It was a great match, but Oishi's abilities were no match for the freshman prodigy. She was smiling as she basked under reflected glory. And yet… there was something that started bothering Shiba as she watched him closely through his games.<p>

It felt like her idol, Echizen Ryoma, was becoming slightly feminine. She shrugged in the end, though. Her gay radar wasn't that great but straight or not she'd support this boy. She had always been a fan of Yaoi anyway.

In any case, amazing matches had occurred and Shiba did not regret coming there at all… but a particular block caught their attention though. It was Block D—where Inui, Tezuka, and Momo were assigned. That meant one of them would not play in the regionals.

And against Tezuka and Inui…

Momoshiro was, to everyone's surprise, basically of no match.

**...**

Everyone watched the bushy-eyebrowed sophomore anxiously as he slowly and agonizingly left the courts. And yet none of them decided to go with him – they, particularly the regulars, knew all too well that he needed time to be alone. It was a feeling none of them wanted to anyone else, and yet could not avoid.

They were worried, definitely, but they believed Momoshiro would overcome this hurdle somehow so they decided to occupy their minds with the final– and apparently best – match of the day.

The Tezuka-Inui's match

_Pak_

They were shocked by Inui's new data and physical improvements. They didn't realize just how much _more_ he trained relative to them—which was insane because _their_ training could kill normal no-will people. It was unbelievable, and Inui was suddenly on par with the captain. At some point, he was even _winning_.

But then, after a very heated game, Ryoma felt herself getting frozen. She could sense something happening, and her eyes ended immediately on Tezuka's feet. She didn't speak, but soon enough Fuji and Inoue noticed the same thing.

Tezuka was no longer moving away from that area, no matter what type of shots Inui threw at him.

"Samurai Zone…." Inoue whispered in awe while she gulped. This caught the nearby regular's attention.

"That must be Tezuka Zone, then." Fuji smiled, both amused… and intimidated. The buchou was getting a little too far ahead again in tennis. Then as if moving by itself, his eyes ended up on his crush and they instantaneously twitched. Reina's eyes were full of admiration, and she didn't bother to hide it. Sure, Tezuka was her boyfriend… but still—

He blinked when he felt someone staring at _him_. He whipped his head there immediately and Amou immediately flinched and took random pictures of anything but him. Fuji opened his eyes and wondered…

But in the end, his eyes gravitated back to where it was. As always.

* * *

><p>Ryoma watched with awe. <em>Tezuka was amazing!<em>

Sure, she felt a bit bitter about her father teaching him the technique that he never wanted to teach _her_. The old man was so stern about her learning it herself. Yes, she was envious of Tezuka, but the feeling of admiration still won. Her father was not a good teacher, and the fact that the buchou was so close to mastering it and in such a short time was supposed to be next to impossible.

Well, not to _him_, obviously.

Ryoma swore she was _seriously_ going to drill him about it later.

**…**

"So… you're going to Oishi's again after school?" Ryoma asked.

"Hai."

"You sure you're not playing too much video games?" She was starting to get used to _not_ go with the boy. She had to admit she was a tad disappointed, but he seemed happy with his new best friend. It seemed Oishi, Eiji, and Sakuno would join them as well.

"Nya! Join us!"

"No thanks." She said sternly, and soon the acrobat pouted to little Kumi and asked her to join in as well. Kumi wanted to join but it wasn't her call, she knew, and she looked at her teacher pleadingly. It didn't take long for Kuroro and Kaidoh to go along with Kumi. The triple-K, Eiji even called them in just before they all waved their goodbyes.

So, there, it was after class and she would finally get her chance to drill him.

After a while of walking, Reina finally asked Tezuka how to do the zone. She had been trying to figure it out for more than a year now and she couldn't seem to get halfway there… She was hoping Tezuka would give some hints when—

"No." He said firmly and she winced at how quickly he answered. "Your father specifically told me not to teach you. You have to learn _everything_ by yourself, he said. That I should not – no matter what…you do – will I tell you."

She narrowed her eyes. "Or what?" And he turned away.

"That's classified."

"Wa—HEY! Since when—"

He sighed. He really couldn't keep anything from her anymore…

"He said he won't—He stated that he'd hate me."

She scoffed at that. "Wh—HAHAHA—when did _you_ care?"

"You know that your father is a great tennis player, and despite his tendencies, I can't help but admire him." He answered. It wasn't a lie, but it was an understatement.

"Yes, but—oh c'mon…" she pouted, before finally giving up. "Che." She turned around and stomped ahead of him, and he couldn't help but smile softly as he watched her back.

She need not know Nanjiroh threatened, if he told her anything, that he would not give them his blessings when that time came.

Besides, there was no reason to break his future father-in-law's trust, now would there?

…

* * *

><p>The next day, Tezuka was called to the staff's office and there, the coach gave him a pamphlet and the statement that he'll be accepted easily at the school in Germany. It was a good opportunity, she said, that many pros came from there. The conversation ended with Ryuzaki-sensei telling him to discuss it with his parents, and that he did.<p>

"I suggest you go. Since you do not want to be a businessman, an engineer, or a Politician like I asked you to… I want you to take this opportunity and ensure your future."

"Your father is right… but _I _suggest do what you want to. Isn't the Regional tournaments coming soon?"

"Hai…" He answered, and excused himself to go to his room. His parents nodded in agreement. Tezuka went up only to lie down on his bed. He was not going to go, that was for certain. He wanted to be with his team all the way until the Nationals. There was no real option, and he decided to call Reina for what she thought about it anyway.

"It depends. I know you love the team and I understand, but don't you think ignoring this application so readily may be a mistake?"

"Well, I suppose… Do you want me to go?"

"Of course not, Mitsu." She laughed. "But you do get what I'm trying to say."

"Yes. But this is my last year in Middle School."

"And you want to be with the team and win every single tournament." She continued.

"Hai."

"Yeah… We will have tons of opportunities in the future, anyway. It's better we don't regret what we do now, right?"

"Hai…" He responded and much to his puzzlement, she sighed.

"So, really, Mitsu. Why do you sound like you really regret not going there as well?"

_Silence_

"Reina—"

"A part of you just feel responsible for the team, maybe you should think of considering yourself sometimes…"

"I do…"

She sneered. "Sure you do."

"Well, if I didn't, I wouldn't have glared at anyone who stares at you."

And there was a silence.

"…that's different."

"You think so?"

She didn't answer for a while again, and at that moment he was just smiling—not really thinking about his current dilemma. Reina was probably blushing at the moment and his mood couldn't help but_ be_ good whenever he tried to imagine it.

"Yes." She paused. "Just—think of yourself for this decision, okay? Trust us."

And she hung up.

* * *

><p>Two days had passed since then and Momoshiro had yet to show up for practice. The tension was unmistakable – and its degree higher than anyone had expected. The atmosphere was extremely bad and anxious – to the point that the Golden Duo fought.<p>

It was one of those moments wherein Tezuka would never consider telling the team his decision. He looked at Reina, who was the missing member's good friend. She might not show much but she was definitely worried. She sent him a reassuring smile and walked away in ponder.

Nothing will come out of appearing frantic anyway, Ryoma noted as she walked. She sighed and took out her phone. Looks like she, unfortunately, would have to ask Ryoga for a favour.

"Aniki."

"Reina? Is that you?! Really?"

She had her call ID in there and she was sure her voice did not change, so she only frowned. "You think?"

"Oh my~ How rare—"

"Could you please give Momo-senpai some sort of surprise match? He seemed to be on a…phase." She cut his fluffiness of and went straight to the point. Ryoga knew when to be serious, too, fortunately.

"Tennis? "

"Yeah."

"Nadda."

She blinked, not expecting that response at all. "How come?"

"I have no interest in spending time making people like tennis when they don't."

"But—" she paused and calmed herself, "Please?"

There was a pause, but eventually she heard a sigh.

"You're adorable, Reina. But **no**."

**…**

STREET COURTS

Later that day, Momoshiro was huffing after defeating a few dozen players in the street courts that afternoon. They asked him why he's settling for _them_ – not that they were not…any… good or anything—but shouldn't he be practicing with more challenging players?

Momoshiro ignored them, and went straight to the vending machine. He was drinking his heart out, maybe it would wash the discomfort and unsatisfaction away, but it did not. Instead, he heard petite footsteps from behind and his ears perked partly having a guess on who it was.

"Well, well… Shouldn't you be in your team preparing for the Regionals? Fudomine is on top-shape and is not to be underestimated!" Ann added, and if Momo was being normal… he would've given her a cute grin, and then semi-jokingly mutter something arrogant. But he wasn't being normal… and Ann knew it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Are you alright?"

"Yes."

She frowned. Ann wished she and Momo had a similar relationship to what Reina and Tezuka had, being able to be so honest with each other, but then how hard would that be. All she knew was that those two are the only ones she knows who are capable of that. In any case, she was both worried and annoyed.

After Momo drank another can of juice, he aimed for the garbage can, but Ann skilfully caught it and threw it straight to his head.

"It_te_!" He yelled and then whimpered. "What was _that_ for?!"

"Have a duel with me."

Momoshiro sighed. But even when she was being like that, he was in no mood to argue. So after staring at Ann, who was glaring at him, he sighed in defeat. And so, their battle began.

_Thump_

Sounded the net of the racket as it hit Momo's head. After a short while of playing, Ann could feel that he was taking it easy on her. She knew she was a good player – and she took a huge amount of pride in that. She would _not_ be underestimated—even by the love of her life.

"That's not the Momoshiro I fell for!" She yelled. It was true, her Momo was not _this_ weak-willed. "And I will defeat you, and show you how weak you have become."

_Twitch_

And she did not give up and continued doing her best.

"Ann." He mumbled. He was more skilful than her in tennis, but she was greater in everything else. It pained him how a loser he was. Unlike her, he couldn't take in the fact that many people are stronger than him. He had lost his will to improve… while _she_ took challenges head on. To grow.

"Ann-chan," he smiled at the realization and she blushed slightly before shooing it away. He grinned and gave her his best serve, and not a moment too soon it became a heated game, just like they wanted. Ann lost, of course, but it was a great game. They approached each other for a handshake.

He leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheeks. "Arigatou." He whispered. She opened her mouth to nag him about being so… thick-skinned, when he added,

"It seemed I've fallen for you all over again."

_Doki_

Momoshiro had become extremely cheesy…

But Ann could not have had it any other way.

**…**

Meanwhile, n top of a nearby tree, Ryoga stood being able to watch the whole thing. When he heard people playing in the courts, he decided to approach them. But then he saw Atobe and a few of his friends and, for some reason, he decided to hide. His best option was the tree, so he climbed up.

He watched the couple emit flowers around them and he grinned widely. "Seems like I'm not needed, after all."

But then, as his eye surveyed the movement of the people—with Atobe and his team positioning themselves as they watched the… immersed couple, his sights the shifted around and spotted a _very_ familiar figure going to the courts. It was Reina. She had Ludwig and Michael with her this time, probably to keep her from getting lost.

Anyway, he looked at the couple, then to Atobe, and then to his ever-nearing little sister. He chuckled.

"Well, this is going to be interesting…"

**…**

When Reina and the kids arrived at the courts, she heard arrogant bickering from _very_ familiar voices. Mostly taunting dialogues and she could especially feel the irritation. What she did not get was the annoyance in _Atobe's _voice. He was obviously the one who started it…

In any case, she nonchalantly entered with her usual normal haughty ways with the two boys a little behind her like sidekicks. She then shifted her stare away from Atobe and on to the teammate she was looking for.

"Are you a boar, Momochan-senpai?"

"Wha—HEY!"

"HAHAHAHHA" That was Ann and Momoshiro found himself blushing. "So true."

Momoshiro tried to be as composed as possible. Not that he succeeded, but he tried. "W-What made you s-say that?!"

"You've been skipping practice, causing everyone trouble. How immature. Are you sure you want to end up with _him_ Ann?"

Ann pretended to ponder… draining all the blood in Momoshiro's face.

Then she laughed. "I was kidding."

"Darn it."

"Anyway, as I was saying." Atobe pompously intervened. "For Seigaku to have such members must mean that they are even weaker than I had expected. I didn't expect much from you this week, but this is quite horrendous."

_Silence_

Even his teammates didn't see that coming. Since when did he get even ruder than before?

Ann frowned and Momoshiro growled. Reina on the other hand, hid behind her hat for a moment. She let out a deep breath and stared at Atobe in the eyes. That moment, whatever everyone else was saying—they could not hear. They were in their own little world.

She stepped forward. "Play with me."

"Eh… That must be that arrogant freshman regular I've been hearing about." Oshitari muttered to a maroon-haired teammate. He didn't take his eyes off his captain afterwards though, he swore he saw him flinch in an unusual way.

"Most likely." He nodded, but he was a bit preoccupied with trying to understand their captain. He had been acting oddly lately, and he wanted to know why. But in current circumstances (which included his lack of intelligence) there was no way to find out alone.

"Do you know what's with Atobe-san?" He asked Oshitari.

"Hmm… No, I don't."

"C'm—"

"Hey. You scared, Monkey King?"

Everyone stared at the boy. _Monkey King?_

A snicker somewhere from the team emerged, and followed by another, and then a laugh from Momoshiro and Ann. Atobe, on the other hand, was too serious about something to even feel offended.

Ryoma did not take her gaze off him. She never thought she'd battle against him like this. Now that she thought about it, she kind of missed playing with him – they hadn't played against each other since she was kidnapped. He refused every single one of her challenges.

But now, with his team right behind him… she hoped like hell he would not be able to refuse.

"Hmph! As if I had time for the likes of you. We'd have plenty of opportunity to crush your team during the tournaments. That is, unless you lose before you could reach us."

Momo's smirk disappeared and his cheeks turned red with anger. "Why you—"

"My, my. You have such a bad temper, too? Oh, how your team have fallen." Atobe shrugged earning himself a strong glare. It was fortunate that he had prepared himself enough not to freeze under it… much.

"Kabaji!"

"Osu."

"Let's go." He stated, looking back at Ryoma and ignoring the spike haired-boy's yells.

"Osu."

But before they could be completely out of earshot. Ryoma said something to him that made him want to punch everyone in sight.

"Our Captain will lead us to the nationals." She paused with her pitch higher than usual. "Let us just hope you can lead yours."

**…**

ATOBE RESIDENCE

Atobe Keigo slammed the door shut and sprinted to his bed. He lay there with different emotions filling his body – the most abundant of which was anger. Reina basically just said Tezuka was a better Captain than he was. Of course, being compared to Tezuka with anything _by_ Reina could induce quite a few things.

But after a while, he (slightly) got calmer than before. He realized he really was a jerk. Even more so than usual…

It started when he saw that couple—or rather, many other pairs that had been doing public displays of affection. His brain just kept on freaking pasting Tezuka and Reina's faces on theirs respectively, and his blood boiled instantaneously. It was so unfair—he just _met_ her, and now he _had_ her?

Curse him—

_Ring! Ring! Riiinng!_

It was Reina. And he was definitely not in the mood to speak with her.

_Ring! Ring! Riiinng!_

_Ring! Ring! Riiinng!_

_Pick up the PHONE damnit!_

He blinked. But he continued on ignoring it until it had finally stopped.

_Silence_

It had barely been 10 minutes of incessant calling and she already gave up? He sighed, denying any sort of disappointment whatsoever.

_Riinggg!_

He quickly picked it up, only to mentally punch himself for giving in.

"Keigo… Stop playing hard to get."

"Shut up."

"Keigo."

"What do you want?"

"Gomen…" She paused. "I was harsh. I haven't seen you in action as a captain to say those things…"

"…"

"…"

"I apologize as well, I suppose. For calling your team weak."

"Uh-huh." She smiled. "Ne, Keigo…"

"Hn?"

"If by some chance our team meets… and I was assigned to play with you… will you play with me?"

Silence ensued for a moment getting Reina to frown.

"No. I'd make sure that doesn't happen."

"Bu-"

And so he hung up on her. He no longer had the strength to continue speaking with her, especially with such a topic. Maybe he still felt guilty, despite everyone telling him it was not his fault it happened to her.

Or maybe it is simply because he did _not_ want to part with her again.

But then… a week later, and it was finally time for the draw lots… he didn't expect everything to go down immediately.

It started out as usual, with Hyotei and Seigaku given much attention – especially their captains. Atobe tried hard not to glare and appear his usual cool and awesome self, but it was tiring so he just blanked out for a while until they were called.

"Hyotei Gakuen!" The man announced and he stood up before gracefully walking to the platform.

He stared at the box with the slots. He did not want to lay his beautiful hands on such a cheap thing, but what the hell. He was in no mood to think, and so he just picked up a paper and held it up arrogantly.

"Number 15!"

And his eyes locked to his first opponent. He looked quite cool and a bit excited, although a few more things were running around on his head at the time…

Beside the Number 14 slot wrote 'Seigaku'.

And Atobe felt like cursing all over again.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXXV**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XXXVI: Hyotei Gakuen**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Animelover4ever69- **Really? Ahhahaah. Same here! I never cooked. And I'm already in my 20s. LOL. Thanks for the comment, btw~

**MintLeafeon**- Hahaha. Kirihara's so trollable, isn't he? It's one of the reasons we wanna hug him! xD Glad you thought the scenes were cute, and thanks for the review~!

**Shadowhawk**- Yeah. It's really the most difficult stage to be calm. Haha. And yes, good thing he's Tezuka the perfect boyfriend. xD I'm happy you liked the ending and best regards to you too! And Thanks for the review. XD

**Natasya Ivashkov **– Thanks for reminding me…! xD Yeah, I get dizzy with these characters. Hope I improve on that regard. haha

**PurpleScorpion**- Cool! And I'm so envious—I'm stuck here the whole summer. Hahaha. And poor sophomores… getting scarred for life and such. Hahaha. Btw, they'll find out about the relationship soon. *wink* And thanks for the review~!

**Lady Syndra- **hahaha. Glad you liked his response! xD And thank you for the comment~!

**Blueberryxn- **hahaha. It wasn't a failure by relativity. Haahahha. And glad you liked the chap and the ending~ Thanks for the review. xD

**ChocoMickey- **Hai! I'm so sorry I took so long. xD I'm really glad you still think the story's good and funny. Hehehe~ Of course, thank you for the review!

**xDarkxKurokox- **ahahaha. Right? RIGHT? Even buchou can't escape hormones. xD And CHHEEERS for all the homos out there! Hahahha. They make this world interesting, no? LOL. And thank you for the review~! :D

**FranscoiseLaraLapis- **Kirihara an unlucky sea monster, he is. Hahaha. And yes~! They're getting along very well and so far I think they'll stay that way. xD Thx for the comment, btw!

**Elishakanzen- (ch3) **Hai~ But we can assume it will reach there eventually, right? Besides, I love Jollibee. And wait—they don't serve rice? O.O How come?

**Frostfire613- **Ie. I'm sorry for the misleading notif… it's just that the email alert for chapter 34 was deleted for most people due to the site lag so I had to bump. :)

**Heroldalefan- **Hahahahaha. That's great! xD I mean the laughing and not how they stared at you. Lol. I'm glad you found it engaging and thank you for your review.

**Saouf- **Lol. Thank you for the review~! I'm happy that you liked it and I shall try my best to keep it up. ^^

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p>Thanks again folks~! xD<p>

It would be even more awesome if you write something in this beautiful box below. xD


	36. Hyotei Gakuen

**Thank you to everyone who got this far! **Again, special hugs to the vocal readers…! xD You allow me to know your presence and motivate me so. *Hugs*

I remember writing a story about a minor pair here. It is entitled **Masterpiece. **It's old, rushed, and not that well-written (don't be fooled by the title)… but I will appreciate some new readers~!

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXXVI: Hyotei Gakuen<strong>

It was after classes and everyone was all tired from the hard training. It had only been a few days since the announcement and they were already getting killed. The coach and a few seniors were particularly hyped out about this next battle with Hyotei – sweet revenge was _always_ (emphasis on the always) awesome.

"We should shop at the sports store." Ryoga announced as they walked home. It had been an especially busy day, and it was also one of those days wherein Tezuka would refuse the invitation. He had a lot to do, and it would take such a long time that Tezuka was determined not to make her wait… so there she was, walking home with Ludwig and her brother… since he sort of lost his gasoline money.

In any case, if shopping of sports items was the activity then Reina would definitely agree to come. They looked around at the shop, and Ryoga immediately went to buy something. There were new shoes—and, apparently, he saved the gas money for it.

"You're not going to buy anything?"

"Nah. Just window shopping. Probably…" She answered and continued looking around (and maybe hoped for something interesting), it didn't take long for Ryoga to catch up to her. They paused at the sight of a brunette boy with long hair… and a very familiar logo on his uniform. He was just staring blankly at a brand new racket that he was holding. It looked nice, maybe she should buy it.

"Are you going to buy that?"

"…No."

"No as in Never, or not yet?"

"I'm… undecided. I'm not sure if it's worth the money… now that I'm no longer playing in my school tourn—" He stopped himself from blurting something embarrassing up, and then proceeded to staring at the small boy who made him spit it out. He noticed the boy's uniform, and his eyes widened.

"You're from Seigaku?"

"What of it?" she asked and continued to think of where the heck she saw that logo.

"He's from Hyotei Gakuen, Ryoma, since you're obviously thinking about it." Ludwig pointed out, and she didn't show much reaction.

"I knew that."

"Liar." He stated bluntly making her eyes jerk, but then she ignored the kid and proceeded with guessing who the brunette was.

"Then… you must be Shokaido Rei."

"Shishido Ryo." He corrected.

"Ah…"

Ryoga scratched his head. "How'd you know him?"

"Momo-senpai replaced Inui-senpai on data gathering. He said something about him being the latest kick out, losing to Tachibana-san."

"…"

Ryoma sighed. "Are you going to buy that or not?"

"I was… before _that_ happened."

"So… you're not going to buy it anymore?"

"…"

"You obviously want to." Ryoma commented, seeing that there were no other rackets of the type was left.

"But I—"

"You can keep that troublesome amount of hair but not your regular spot?"

"…oi!"

"You're going to stop playing?"

"Of course not!"

"Then how come you're so reluctant?" She asked, before adding casually. "Can't you just ask the coach to let you play again…? Isn't the punishment too harsh?"

"…It's not. Not really. With 200 members, it gives chance to many and it also motivates the hell out of us. Besides… No one had been exempted yet."

"Then why not try to be the first one?" she intervened making his eyes widen. "It's now or never, right?"

Ludwig ignored them for most part but he faintly nodded, while Ryoga grinned. "Right."

Ryoma watched the semi-frozen boy stare and sighed. She waved her hand for a silent goodbye and left, the two boys following her coolly.

And for the two weeks that followed, Shishido trained hard with his doubles partner… and conditioned himself that he –for some reason—would cut his precious, lovable, and (yes) gorgeous hair…

…

Hyotei was quite hyped up – especially since Shishido's return. His enthusiasm was seriously contagious! They trained quite harder than usual, and nobody minded. Even when they wouldn't admit it, they knew Seigaku shouldn't be underestimated.

But Oshitari could not help but notice his captain's odd behaviour. He knew he was excited in battling the great Tezuka Kunimitsu, but he could sense something else. For some reason, he felt that arrogant freshman was involved somehow.

In the end, he just shrugged. He was prying too much, and he knew Atobe – he was both his teammate and his friend. He'll get through whatever he was experiencing. You know, eventually.

But then after some time of staring…, he could swear he was seeing the signs of…_ pimples._

Atobe would die if they continue to grow.

"Oshitari! What the bloody hell could you be doing standing there?" Atobe exclaimed in his usual sexy voice, as his fangirls would say it. In fact, many of them lost a heart beat every time they heard him speak.

Oshitari mentally sighed and approached him to finally get his training menu made by the coach.

But now that he thought about it—where_ was_ the coach?

…

Sakaki Taro was alone in the Faculty room. Most people would think he was arranging the line-up, but doing that wouldn't take _him_ a lot of time. He was calling a certain gorgeous brunette woman. He was telling him the case of Shishido Ryo.

"I told you it was a bad idea."

"No it is not. It is a great motivator."

"But it could also lose you and your team amazing players." She replied. "Why not just evaluate the performance and determine whether the player will be kicked out?"

"That would be inconsistent."

"Sometimes, inconsistency is the right thing to do Taro."

"Apparently…"

"Mou, are you even planning on listening to me? Anyways, don't forget our date this weekend."

He smiled. "Ah."

…

Finally, the Seigaku's first stage in the Kanto tournaments. Everyone was hyped up, but unfortunately the Vice-Captain had yet to show up. Only 10 minutes left til' the deadline when he called. He helped a pregnant woman go to the hospital. Ryoma gagged involuntarily, what were the chances that one of her excuses would actually happen?

"That's Oishi…"

"Then it's probably true."

Her eyes twitched. How _rude_…

Momoshiro gallantly volunteered to go and replace his position in the hospital so Oishi could go back, but minutes later though he returned Oishi-less. And a minute later, their eyes widened at his news.

Due to the accident, Oishi's right arm was injured.

For a moment they thought they were going to lose Doubles two a little too easily, but then they remembered—Momoshiro was a good player. Not a good doubles player, but definitely better than Ryoma.

"Che." She mumbled knowing everyone was thinking just that, but then shrugged it off. It was true anyway. Besides, from what she was hearing, the games would be extremely good—

"…Singles 1: Tezuka Kunimitsu."

_Silence_

The Coach did not say her name in the line-ups. She couldn't _possibly_ be hearing things, right?

Sumire sensed this immediately and went to explain. She absolutely could not play doubles, she'd break bones if she plays singles 3, Fuji reserved Singles 2, and Tezuka was the best bet against Atobe Keigo. She frowned.

'_I beat Keigo all the time as a child.' _She mused in slight bitterness. Again. She completely ignored the fact that that was ages ago and he probably grew at a much stronger rate than her—the disadvantages of being female, so to speak.

In any case, she didn't want to mope around in public and just decided to go and sit and look cool as usual… and mentally brood somewhere and glare at the clouds. She sighed, and decided to walk around to start. She had all the time in the world, anyway (she added bitterly). She'll just get back before the grand battle.

In the end though…, she found that she wanted to watch ever single game.

Doubles 2, Momoshiro and Eiji had a hard time. Eiji was not used to playing doubles without Oishi guarding him and it had been especially straining that the opponents are effortlessly returning their best shots—heck, Gakuto Mukahi even exceeded Eiji in terms of acrobatic play. Naturally, this is a big hit on their momentum and the fact that Eiji was so used to playing his stunts without worries because Oishi was always there with him did not make it any better. They were losing, and badly.

Well, that was until Oishi entered (metaphorically and spiritually) forming a group of three. Eiji also learned to take in Oishi's position in the partnership, and perhaps… be a better senpai?

With Gakuto's stamina running out (due to his lack of foresight) and Momoshiro's quick improvements, they won with a very witty feign Dunk smash combo with a score of 6-4.

The next game was Inui and Kaidoh's games. She smirked at the odd pairing as well as well as Hona's adorable attempts of cheering with Tomoko and Sakuno. Her smirk became visible when she saw Kaidoh blush at the sight of his girlfriend… whom, if Ryoma would add, was slowly becoming prettier every day.

Not even a moment later though, Ryoma blinked as they had announced the team's opponents. She didn't recognize Shishido because he had gotten such short hair. No wonder he was gaping at her like that earlier. By 'that', she meant he was looking at her like a little sheep walking around nonchalantly at a pack of lions.

The game started with the gray-haired person serving. He was yelling…something before he hits.

"_Ikkyuu Nyuu Kon_"

_BOOM!_

And the next thing they knew, the ball already passed her teammates. It went on for a while—the no touch aces continued and she could hear the hope slowly draining away. But Inui-senpai being Inui, he had found the boy's weakness—its accuracy—and, after a few games, he got a double fault. Inui just had to ask Kaidoh to position himself somewhere.

In any case, Atobe arrogantly commented about it only being returned so far by the strong Kabaji (not that he's tried before) and appeared pompous as usual. He was careful not to let _her_ be in the way of his sights for the moment, for who knew what reason. Ryoma frowned. Didn't she already apologize?

'_Stop being a freaking spoiled brat.'_ She thought irritably and then whipped her head back to the game. She paused, but remained silent and waited to see if what she saw was really real. And it was – only Kaidoh was actually playing and Inui was just standing there doing nothing.

She heard a huge amount of confused murmurs but she knew better, after putting together the pieces. She sent a knowing look at Tezuka's direction, and he just nodded.

It was going to be a great game in a few sets.

…

Inui and Kaidoh lost, but they showed great skills and a very awesome comeback. During his little break, Inui was analyzing their opponent equipping them with good data. It was just that this particular opponent had extremely good teamwork and trust in the other. They were just unlucky, in a sense.

The next battle was a power battle – Kabaji and Kawamura. It was an unbelievable battle- Kabaji, it seemed, could imitate any sort of move. Atobe said something about the huge boy being extremely simple-minded so that he could absorb anything that he saw.

With their shots and movements, Ryoma could swear she could see invisible bombs getting thrown from place to place. It ended with Kawamura's best version of Hadokyu rendering Kabaji unable to play any longer, but sadly it did the same to him too.

In the end, the match was announced to be null-and-void.

Kawamura, Kabaji, and the coach went to the hospital and Ryoma knew what was coming. She stood up immediately and aimed for the bench. Coolly and composed, of course… she only participated in a one-player walk-a-thon or something.

"Who wants to be a bench coach?" The coach asked, but the other players were just surprised…seeing that Ryoma was already sitting in the bench. Momo and Eiji immediately went to pull her out, but Fuji asked them to let her stay there. Fuji turned around and positioned himself at the courts feeling wonderful as ever.

Ryoma watched him thoroughly. She could not forget that match in the rain, and she was planning on defeating him soon. She could sense a few stares behind her back, some of which are just curious… and some a little more than that. Heck some of them were prying. She didn't want to think whom they were coming from, so she just looked straight at the courts.

Fuji, on the other hand, told himself he needed to put a distance between them – he was Seigaku's number two after all. And that thrilling match made people doubt that.

Well, that was true. But it was an understatement. Who was he kidding? He wanted to show off and being at the bench would ensure she got the best view possible. Maybe he was hoping she'd look at him the same way during Tezuka's match with Inui.

If he couldn't make her see him as a man, he sure as hell wanted her to at least admire him more in tennis skills than Tezuka's.

He ignored his brother's prying stare alternating between him and Reina. He was probably thinking if they were dating in public now that everyone thought he was gay.

'_Well, whatever.'_ He mused and stared at his sleepy opponent, gripping Taka-san's bloodied racket tighter. He was going to get revenge for his brother, and that was what he should be focusing on. Impressing Reina along the way was just an added bonus.

The game started with his disappearing serve—silencing the environment ranging about three dozen meters in radius. No one could believe his shot, and many tried to analyze it but as usual, only a few actually got it right.

Ryoma on the other hand froze simultaneously. It was no wonder that Fuji's opponent was so familiar! She met him before – just when she had realized what… certain feelings mean. Hell, he even pointed them out.

Him being energetic again helped her remember. A moment later, he felt her stare and his eyes widened immediately… rudely pointing a rude finger at her along the way.

"I-It's YOU!"

"Hello, snorlax."

"H-Hey! Me not fat!"

She sighed. "Whatever."

"Ne…" he yelled as of no one was there listening to them. "Are you fine now? You seemed quite down th-"

"Referee. Can you please disqualify him? He's not taking the match seriously."

"Wh- I AM SOOOOO takingthismatchseriously!" he shouted and then shifted his gaze at this perplexed-on-different-levels opponent. The now-energetic boy flinched a little but otherwise kept his beam.

Fuji turned to Ryoma. "Yes, I do want to hear if you are fine bench coach-san."

"Oi." She uttered dismissively. "Start already."

The referee cringed under her stare and announced for them to begin. Fuji got the first service game. He smiled and stole a glance toward Ryoma…, and it just so happened that Tezuka was next in his line of sight—looking stoic, yet expressively even more guarded than before. As if he was ready to stop him if he did anything improper to that capricious girl on the bench.

He'd love to see that, but he had a game to win, revenge for his little brother to do…

He took one deep breath; put centripetal pressure on the ball, and threw it in the air—hitting it precisely on top and sliding it a bit down ensuring the ball retained and increased spin.

Now all was left was to watch the ball… disappear.

…

Ryoma's eyes widened after she forced them to slits—as she was just trying to focus her sights a second prior. The turbulence in the ball was outstanding…, and in a flick of the eye she just, well, lost sight of it.

"You are friggin' awesome!" Snorlax Jr. stated and then ran to his team mates, who just sweat-dropped at his antics. "He's such an amazing player! Did you see that shot? Did you? Did you?"

Ryoma's eyes twitched. "Referee—"

"Oi, you…" The referee called to Snorlax Jr., "Go back to the courts."

"You're so impatient, bench coach. Is that why you were cr—"

Ryoma's eyes widened and she whipped her head to her senpai. "Just beat him quick, senpai."

…

And that Fuji did. He beat him 6-2, and impressing everyone (which of course included Reina) with his techniques and awing them with his third counter—Hakugei.

He felt very accomplished. Not only did he avenge his brother and made him proud, he could see the amazement in Reina eyes too, despite barely allowing her expressions to change.

"Mada Mada." She said and he smirked. Given the context, that was a compliment.

"Thank you." He mumbled and he looked alternatively at Tezuka and Atobe after shaking hands with Jirou. He asked something about if anyone was stronger than him, and the two immediately popped up his head. Although… for some odd reason, they seemed to be pre-occupied with something… or someone. He squinted his eyes to see if he could catch them stealing glimpses.

And there it was. Tezuka's was understandable, but Atobe's?

Fuji frowned.

Seemed like things were even more complicated than he thought.

…

At a distant court, Tezuka and Ryoma were warming up. At a certain point, Ryoma was winning since Tezuka was barely moving. "You better start moving, Mitsu." She voiced out. "Want to do a 3-point match?"

He sighed, and just gestured to hit. They played a good game, even as short as it was. And as soon as they got out from the court, he finally brought himself to ask.

"Mind telling me what's your relationship with three of Hyotei's players?" He asked inquisitively catching Reina's puzzlement.

"Shishido-san, we just met by accident at the sports shop. Snorlax-"

"Jirou."

"Yeah, Jirou, I met above a tree. He was sleeping and I was passing time…"

"And what did he mean by you were about to cry."

She paused. She knew he'd be worried. "It's nothing much. He was just there when I arrived at a… disconcerting conclusion."

"Like?"

She blushed and stared at him for a while, thinking of just how to word it. "T-That I thought… uhmm…" She paused. "It was that time, when…"

"When?"

"You and Fuji-senpai had feelings for me."

He looked at her in the eyes. "But it's true…" He squinted his eyes. "What are you hiding?"

She didn't speak for a while since she could not lie. So he decided to just get to _his_ conclusion. "You felt sad when you thought I fell in love with you?"

"…No. It was more of a-a confusion…" she uttered incoherently making him feel guilty for saying something like that. He remained silent so to let her speak.

She looked at the pavement. "I felt like crying b-because…" She blushed further. "I had no idea why I felt so happy…."

His eyes widened by a millimeter and he smiled.

"I'm glad." He stated and held her hand tightly.

And he completely forgot to ask about Atobe.

…

Singles 1 had finally started and there had visibly been more audience than before—this was a must-watch game, after all. There were scouts and a plethora of teams that time and they pretty much concluded that this would be a great match.

But then, only several minutes passed and—

_THUMP THUMP THUMP_

WHAT THE HELL WAS HE TRYING TO DO?

The match started out just fine, and both Reina and Atobe willed themselves not to input any external feelings into the game—especially Atobe. He loved tennis, Reina made sure of that all those years ago– and projecting his feelings for her and his bitterness for _him_ was something he could not do.

Well, that was what he told himself. But then with his insight he found out that Tezuka's shoulders had been hurting, and he turned to his especially arrogant self afterwards. Who knew what he was thinking? That moment he was planning to make the match longer. He told himself he wanted not just to win but also destroy his arm, many others thought the same way. Maybe it was true, to some degree, despite him willing himself not to attach any sort of unnecessary feelings into this match… but what the hell—

He avoided Reina's glare.

Reina, on the other side of the court, sent him daggers. As many (and as deadly) as she could, but for some reason he had been especially immune to them today. She overheard her senpais talk about how Tezuka got his injury. She recalled how angry she was when she heard, despite the huge sweet-coating Tezuka did for his story. She could just _see_ the events unfold at the time and Tezuka had to… kiss her to keep her from hunting them down.

At the moment, she was feeling anger, anxiety, and despair—too much that all she could do was grip the blasted chair. She knew Atobe, he wouldn't do such a thing as solely aim for Tezuka's shoulders. There was also the fact that he had improved at an unbelievable rate.

It was, in general, a great game… and so she had to fight herself for a decision whether or not to beg them to stop playing. The game had been taking much too long.

She forced herself to calm down, anymore negative energy might distract Tezuka… making things even more complicated. In any case, she tried to watch the game as calmly as she could, but to no avail.

"Change court!" The umpire finally announced, and she mustered all her strength to speak.

"Buchou…"

He gave her a smile that was invisible to everyone else.

"Trust me." He said. _'You understand… right?'_

She gulped.

That was the problem. She _did _understand—and a little too much—to the point that it was no longer rational. She should be dragging him off the courts by now! But nooo, she knew a little too well that given the same position… she would do the same thing.

She closed her eyes to compose herself, and just looked at him.

"Don't let your guard down."

…

Atobe saw their interaction, and how they looked at each other. Hearing and imagining was one thing—but seeing it first-hand rendered him senseless. But he managed to stop himself before stepping in the courts though. This was such a great game that none of them would want to taint it with such selfish impulses.

The game continued on… It had been past an hour and their determination was far from lost. He underestimated Tezuka's motivations, admittedly, and he had been over-confident. His current situation ensured he saw that. He soon realized that him wanting to take the match long was because he wanted _him_ to give up, _in front of Reina._

He thought he was as cold and calculating as he looked – and so would do the rational thing to do, that was, lose. Forfeiting was next to impossible, but rushing the game to the point of showing holes was not – well, that was what he assumed. But then his love for his team was too great. So great… that Keigo didn't even think it was possible.

His sight accidentally caught Reina. His heart stopped for a moment but he willed himself to return to the game—his team was depending on him, too, after all. For the moment, he shooed away the fact that the person who even taught him the first thing about teamwork and responsibility was _her_ – and focused on the game. Her eyes were full of determination and will power.

Probably to keep herself from jumping to Tezuka.

_BOOM!_

Sounded an extremely heavy shot directed to him. How could he still have so much power and control at a time like this?

'_Concentrate Keigo.'_

He continued the game. Soon he realized fully that Tezuka was even _making_ the game longer himself. Even if he was a fellow captain, he couldn't fully understand his motives. His teammates seemed to know though, and so did Reina, making them look at him at an even more admiring state—who would've thought it could still happen.

He shook away all thoughts. The game has reached a battle of will power, and from then on he will rely mostly on his instincts… which suited him just fine, because he was getting tired of all the thinking… and the forcing himself not to think blasted issues.

He closed his eyes after hitting, and abruptly opened it revealing refreshed eyes.

He would not give up.

…

It was a magnificent game, and slowly her anxiety had been shooed away. Tezuka and Atobe were having fun, she could see that now, despite all the complications that was mixed with the game. She did not want to ruin this, not now…

But that little resolution lasted for only several minutes. The next thing she knew, Tezuka was no longer holding his racket… and he was crouching at the floor.

And that moment, Reina swore that she was going to black out.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XXXVI**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XXXVII: The Talk**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Natasya Ivashkov- **Ahahaha~ I'm glad you still liked the chap! I'll do my best to keep you hooked. xD Thanks for the review~!

**xDarkxKurokox – **Indeed! I mean both at Tezuka's selflessness and Atobe's feelings lol. And the kidnapping thing isn't that dramatic… xD *turns your sadistic mode off*Thanks for the review~! And go write a little more, too! Haha

**MintLeafeon- **Maaaaaybe, maybe not. Fufufufu~ I'll try to update soon so I can say 'wait and see' safely. xD Thanks for the comment! ;D

**Animelover4ever69- **lol. I'm not sure by what you mean by 'testy' exactly but I bet I'll agree to it. Ahahah~ Thx for the comment~

**PurpleScorpion**- They do make a good couple don't they?! xD *Envious* And lawl, Atobe… getting hated even more… he's so beautiful *cough* /slapped. Hahaha. Thanks for the comment~ xD

**Herondalefan**- Thank you for the review! I'm glad you found their relationship satisfying~ I would love to see more of these types in real life. And I'll do my best to portray Hyotei~ xD

**Lightning Lily- **Here it is and I hope it was worth the wait! And… am I in trouble if I were to say we're more or less just half-way there? xD And thx for the review~

**Shadowhawk- **You blush when he does that? How nice! xD *high-five* And… I'll try to write the Atobe thing better so you'll be fine with whatever happens. Haha~ Thanks for the review and I did have a wonder summer~

**Blueberryxn- **Hahaha. And the moment you saw the questions, too! And I feel you. School can be depressing at times… Glad I helped somehow and thx for the review~

**oxCuteKataraox- **I'm very happy that you gave the story a chance! *hugs* And I'm glad that you did not regret it. Ahaha~ It's great to hear that I deserve these attention, even from you who originally did not like GBs. xD Thank you for the review~!

**Big Sis of 8- **Thanks, dude! I'm happy that you think so! xDD Hopefully, I won't do anything to make you change your mind. Lol

**FranscoiseLaraLapis**- Yep~ His hair might turn gray! xD And yes~ Tezuka will still go away for a bit, and oh, oh! Thanks for the comment~ ;D

**Justgowithit5631**- Thank you for the review! *blushes* And I'm glad you read that other one, too! And yes~ I wanted Fuji to have some sort of happy ending. xD

**EminaEmina- **Thank you for the review~! And I love the Pillar pair too! It's my fave pairing as well. xD And here's the update! Hope it was good enough. xD

**Kagehana. Tsukio – **Here it is~! I'm so sorry! Site went bonkers in my country so I couldn't access for a week. xD Anyway, I hope the wait was worth it but feel free to say otherwise. xD Thx for the comment~

**Auroradawn123- (ch1) **Thank you for the review frieeend~! Lol. And I shall push it! Hahhahaha. And Glad you liked everything so far~ I'll try to keep it up. xD

**Guest [7/17/13] – (ch5) **Yes. I can make a harem. xD Hope you get to read this reply someday and thanks for the comment. ;)

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><p>…<p>

* * *

><p>Thank you for reading!<p>

I apologize for the delay, but I hope this chap was worth the wait!  
>And please don't hesitate to tell me what you thought! :D<p> 


	37. Insecurities

**As always, thank you to everyone who supported me this far! xD I especially appreciate the more time many of you spendd intoo letting me know your thoughts! ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis and Amou Nami

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><p>..<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXXVII: Insecurities<strong>

She did not black out… well, in the conventional sense of the word. So she still had her eyes open, definitely. She had completely lost control of her body—she couldn't even feel her fingers, and they were shaking like hell. It was like she was bare in the snow…, only she was bloody _sweating_.

"Tezuka!"

"Buchou!"

"Captain!"

A few of her teammates' yells sucked her out of her reverie. Many of them jumped over to the courts to aid him. How useful she was, just sitting there doing nothing…

"Go Back!" Tezuka yelled determinedly, further pulling her out of her gaze, and sent them a familiar stare. She knew no one could stop this fight, and he guaranteed it with looking like that. But she wanted to try.

Reina could only look at him pleadingly. _'Please stop this.'_

Tezuka's expression changed for an instant but he regained his determination – that was, he was going to finish this game, with all he's got… and his teammates would be alongside him… all throughout.

Well, that's what the buchou hoped.

Tezuka coolly sat down beside Reina after the referee called for a time-out, grabbed a towel and a bottle of water… and willed all the pain to go away. After the others went back to their positions, Oishi said something but he wasn't able to hear anything… Cold hands touched his arms and he knew them all too well. Her palm was cold and she was obviously hampering shakiness, telling him that it took all the strength she had at the moment to move her hands.

She let out a quiet sigh… and mentally punched himself for making her so worried. At the time, he could only touch her hand back and maybe warm it up a little.

"I'll be fine, Reina. We've gotten this far—I don't think anyone of us would be willing to give this up."

"B-B…" she uttered slowly taking her hand away as she saw his reassuring smile.

"I'll believe in you. Don't hurt yourself…" she muttered and seeing as he already _had_, she added "further."

He nodded.

**…**

The battle continued and it was taking so _so _much longer than anyone could have anticipated. This has become purely a battle of the wills, and obviously Tezuka was not willing to lose. Reina trusted Tezuka, but there were simply certain things neither of them could control… like, say, Reina's growing urge to run to the middle of the court and stop this game. Yet, ironically, it was such a rare game that she just wanted to keep on sitting there.

"**SEIIIGAAAKUUUUU!**" Someone from above shouted encouragingly catching their attention. Kawamura and the coach had returned… and the first thing that came to mind was that she was no longer the bench coach… so she could… maybe go somewhere where she could be less involved in this fight.

It was an amazing game – but it was too straining, even for her. She needed to get some air.

"Where are you going, Echizen?" Horio asked.

"Here and there…" she just said as she walked up the stairs as nonchalantly as she could. Momo called her. He looked at her knowingly, although probably reading the strain as some itch to play tennis per se.

"Warming up? Let me join you."

She smiled at him weakly. Yes, she could use a good match.

"Arigatou."

**…**

_Pak_

Reina was not sure what the outcome of that match would be – she didn't really care.

_Pak_

Tezuka was having a great time

_Pak_

Despite all the burden on his shoulders both literally and symbolically. She heaved a sigh after getting another point from her very tired opponent.

Reina and Momo were warming up in an attempt to release all the tension as she watched Tezuka and Atobe play. The stress came from different things – be it excitement, awe, or anxiety.

In any case, Momoshiro was helping her quite a bit into avoiding looking like she just lost a whole arm. And she was very thankful.

And sorry.

**…**

"Are you—*huff* Alright? *huff*" Momo mumbled after Ryoma just beat him effortlessly. What a monster.

"Hai, senpai." She said and muttered a thank you. "Ann-chan would be proud." And of course, that was payment enough for the favour.

It was then that they heard screams, and the two of them sprinted to the courts. Tezuka and Atobe were having an incredibly intense tie-breaker.

"31-32!"

"33-32!"

And so on….

And so on…

Reina partly wanted to get out of there again. But she went against it. She had escaped from this long enough, and decided to watch until the end—no matter how much each shot made her cringe.

Eventually, Tezuka activated the zone and hit the ball. Time went slowly, then, and Tezuka looked like he was going to win.

And it _was_ supposed to be his win, but his arm was no longer as controllable as they were. And so, by utter bad luck, the ball hit the net… and land at his side of the court.

Silence ensued for what felt like forever.

"7-6! Atobe Keigo wins!"

**…**

Fuji watched the crowd as they cheered for the great game, just escaping from his reverie.

In retrospect, he hadn't had the time to absorb everything that happened. A lot of games were lost, a few won, and all were exhilarating. And then Tezuka's arm acted out and may or may not have cost him a game. It was intriguing, that their captain could have won or lost either way.

She looked at Reina…, who was standing her for a full 10 second since Tezuka lost his game. Her eyes softened considerable though, when the two shook hands. He found his face doing the same thing.

Fuji though was thankful she didn't do anything uncharacteristic due to Tezuka's accident, he wouldn't have wanted to see that. It would have made him smaller—more unimportant, wouldn't it? Selfish, but everyone was.

"Oi, Fujiko~!" Eiji called his attention and he noticed they were about to go. He flinched but caught his composure quickly. "Let's go cheer for O'chibi later!"

That's right. A tie-breaker would be held, played by the subs. It seemed that a few minutes would be allowed so he would probably need a minute to compose himself. So, he just smiled at his red-headed friend.

"Of course."

**…**

Amou Nami put down her camera and called it a day. Or rather a break since there would be a 'battle-of-the-subs'. She overheard the Hyotei representative was the next captain… and was hence a secret weapon. The sub of Seigaku was no match, they said. Amou wanted to laugh. They had no idea how wrong they were.

In any case…., she, as a habit, went to check her photos. She stared at her digital copy, and frowned. They were normal photojournalism shots in first sight. But there was something common in the intersections of the rule of thirds—that was, there was always a focus.

Fuji.

She shook her head. _Impossible!_

How _humiliating_ if these weren't mere coincidences—which, as much as she didn't want to admit it, probably _weren't_. What made things worse was the fact that her heart stopped when Tezuka fell meant that she still had feelings for him; and now she was taking pictures of another man?

"Is there anything wrong Amou-san?"

"Eek!"

It was Fuji and he flinched at her squeal, but otherwise remained impassive. He blankly hovered over to see whatever she was looking at but she reflexively pulled it back. Unfortunately, she couldn't do the same with her blush.

"You're cute when you blush."

She glared at him, and willed her chest to calm. He was flirting—but she knew his heart wasn't completely there. How utterly annoying of him to flirt! No—how _dare_ he.

She watched him, perhaps inconspicuously, through the events. He was watching his team with care—but he was watching Echizen with _love._

She would _never _fall for this sadist.

"You're a jerk."

"Hmn."

"And I would rather have unrequited love with Tezuka than fall for you." She said and walked hurriedly to the crowd, perhaps to distract herself with the upcoming game.

And Fuji did the same, blankly… soon watching, with everyone else, as Reina crushed that Wakashi person, winning 6 games to 2.

**…**

The next day was a lot more tiring than any of the day they had practicing.

Ryoma was hearing about how they could not believe Tezuka lost. Partly, she couldn't either but she knew Keigo and how much potential he, too, possessed. In any case, the coach announced that they should train for the regulars spot and everyone was hyped up. Kato was annoyed with this, though.

Kato probably misunderstood most of the team's enthusiasm. He thought that they were not worried about the captain – but were glad, instead. Arai sort of showed that. Reina knew better though, as Mitsu loved the team… the team loved him. And they knew by intuition that there was no use worrying. The captain would prefer that they spend their time training than thinking of him.

After all, thinking and worrying for that man was _her_ job.

"Don't let your guard down, Reina." He said over the phone.

At that moment, she was hidden above a tree near the courts as she watched Kato's game. He said he just got off the train, since he was heading to the hospital. Reina offered to come with him, but he refused. The captain would want any of his teammates training, even when one of them happened to be his girlfriend.

She climbed down at the game's climax, and mentally smirked when everyone had finally made-up. She climbed up again though, when she sensed Oishi was going to be assigning laps.

"Everyone 20 laps around the courts!"

"EHHH!?"

She smirked. How smart she was, to hide so quickly. But she flinched when she heard a few more people climbing up. Weren't they too heavy? But apparently not. Only 2 children were joining her, after all.

"You two do this often?" she asked Ludwig and Michael.

"Only when they assign laps." Ludwig answered and Michael nodded in agreement. _No wonder they always went missing. _

"I don't get why we even have to run."

"It trains you. You'll find it useful in the future kids, so join them."

"What about you?"

She cleared her throat. "I've been doing this for years. I have the right-"

"Oishi-san!" Micheal uncharacteristically called his mentor. What has gotten int—wait. They _planned_ this, the little twerps.

Her eyes twitched. _'Why you little-'_

"Ara?" Oishi blinked, coughed, cleared his throat, and went serious-buchou mode. "You three get down here!"

And she could only curse.

**…**

Ryoma begrudgingly ran but did it effortlessly anyway. Eventually, she noticed the usually prying Fuji-senpai to be especially quiet that day. "Oi, Fuji-senpai, you seem even more out-of-it that usual." She stated, but only loud enough for them to hear.

"You and Amou-san had a fight?" He stared at her in surprise.

"I know." She smiled.

"You were watching me?"

"Watching _over_ you." She corrected carefully. "I'm more mature, after all."

"How rude."

"Sad truth." She shrugged. "But yeah… we're friends, I need a distraction, and maybe I can help."

He chuckled light-heartedly. As if on cue, he saw a small alley made by two school buildings. His pace slowed and he turned his head towards her direction. "Can we talk?"

"We already are."

"Somewhere else. Alone." He said and pointed his head at the alley. She looked behind and ensured no one was watching them.

"Be stealthy."

He smiled. "I always am."

**…**

Amou Nami stared at them as inconspicuously as she could. And then to her utter surprise they suspiciously went someplace else alone… _together_. She frowned. What could be happening? And a huge part of her couldn't help but be suspicious.

_Could they be in a relationship?_

And the pain in her chest, she mused, was only because she would feel bad for Tezuka if that happened. It had nothing to do with Fuji himself.

Yes, that must be it.

In any case, she unconsciously held up her camera and followed.

**…**

"You see… I kind of attempted to use another girl to get over my feelings for you."

"What?"

"Isn't that what you wanted?"

"But I never said you can use someone."

"You never said I couldn't."

"You—"She glared at him but sighed. She forced herself to calm when she sensed a presence with them, hiding behind the building they passed to get there. She wasn't sure if Fuji noticed—he was looking like he always was—and she never knew for sure with him. But evidently, the other person was used to hiding.

In any case, the successive calming down allowed her to notice one thing: Fuji was dead serious. And more…

She narrowed her eyes. "So… what do you feel about this girl?"

"What?" He asked genuinely, telling her he had no idea of the eavesdropper, and she only stared. "Didn't I tell you I used her?"

"And… did it work?"

Fuji didn't speak, but the two girls knew the answer.

**…**

The next day, and she was fortunately allowed to oversleep. Reina woke up early presumably because of all the anxiety attacks. That and the relief that Fuji was finally moving forward. Sure, he hadn't made a move—and neither did Amou, who she found out was the eavesdropper due to her failure to hide her stutters afterward—but they were getting there, even her 12-year old self could tell.

Anyway, she smiled and passively went to check her phone. A lot of her friends texted her and asked how Tezuka (and she) was doing. Sakuno and Kuroro was sweet as always, Ann-chan highly encouraging, and even Keigo sent a message. Somehow, Seichi found out about it as well.

She went to call Keigo, despite the fact that he wanted his beauty sleep. His text was a tad too ambiguous and she was going to need more than that before she could pass the apology on to Mitsu as he asked. She dialled the number.

"What? At this time?"

"Do you want Mitsu's number?"

"Mit—Well, that would leave a bad taste—No, Why would I?"

"Don't you want to apologize from what you did to his arm?"

His eye jerked. "What in the world made you think that, Reina?"

"Well, you texted 'I sure do hope his arm is fine because I want to crush him in tennis soon. Tell him that for me, will you?'"

"… Okay. How is that an apology?"

"Oh , it is."

"Why do you act as if you know my own sentence better than me?"

"Because I do – and I'll send you his number."

"No. Just pass the damned message!"

"Geez. Keigo, no need to curse." She muttered, scratching the inside of her ears.

"No. I do not want his number, nor do I want to apologize to him."

"Sure you don't."

"I'll be going back to sleep now, damnit."

"Ha… whatever." She shrugged and ended the call. She pressed a few buttons and sent him the number, anyway. It's about time they become friends, too. After that, she went to call Tezuka.

"Moshi, Moshi?"

"Mitsu… how are you feeling?"

"I feel fine, Reina. Stop worrying."

"Ha. That's coming from you…"

She heard a quiet chuckle. "Good point…. But you're not me, you know."

"Hai, hai." She smiled and then recalled something as she stared at the ceiling. "By the way, before I forget, Keigo was implying some apology directed to both of us…"

"Keigo?"

"Atobe." She replied a tad puzzled, but then she remembered – she fell asleep when she was supposed to tell him! And how was he supposed to open such a topic by himself? And she recalled all the chances, she forgot to tell him.

Oh, man…

"You two are… close?" he asked, and her eyes twitched at the tone. It told her he had some sort of idea, but was surprised regardless.

"Well… Uhmm… he was a childhood friend of mine. Remember, about that story I was telling you about?"

There was silence for a moment, before he spoke quietly. "I… see… What a small world…"

"Mitsu?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry I forgot to tell you… Are you mad?"

"No."

She clenched her phone, "Why does it feel like it…?"

"…"

"…M-Mitsu?"

"Reina, I'll be there in an hour."

She blinked. "Hey! What about your arm!?"

"It's not paralyzed Reina. I can still move it."

"B-But."

"You worry too much."

"Yeah, and you don't." She muttered pointing out the worry in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

She flinched. "Mitsu… you know you can't lie to me anymore."

"I'm not. I… don't know—Is it not alright for me to come?"

"Of course, it's fine, but-"

"Then, I'll see you there."

"Wh-"

_Beep_

He hung up on her. Reina sighed in exasperation.

Tezuka Kunimitsu can be so rude sometimes…

**…**

She immediately got ready and ate her breakfast. She waited for him at the verandah facing the courts, like usual, and he walked over to her sitting figure as soon as he arrived.

"Morning." She greeted and he smiled as he sat beside her. "Why all of a sudden?"

"I'm not sure..."

"That's a lie." She said jokingly, despite the fact that she knew he wasn't. How could the Tezuka Kunimitsu be _unsure_?

He stared at the courts. "I don't know what I want to know more – how it was possible that Atobe wanted to apologize… or just what kind of relationship you have with him." And maybe he just wanted to be with her at the moment, he was having the nagging feeling that something he did not like was going to happen… As if having an injury wasn't bad enough.

"I already stated we were good friends…"

"How good?" he asked.

"Very...? We knew each other for years, we're not sweet or anything but I'm pretty sure we're best friends—in the laxest sense of the word."

"Aa…" he mumbled, not telling her his suspicions of Atobe's feelings. He didn't notice before because he didn't know. But in retrospect, someone like Atobe would not avoid looking at someone—and then give her stolen glimpses—for no good reason…

Reina stared at him. "Do you want to see our photo?"

He nodded weakly and she went up to her room to get one of her favourite framed photos [that I so graciously drew and colored], and ran back down.

_Doki_

Something twitched inside him, and it's not just envy… or jealousy. Which are pretty natural emotions to have now…

"Mitsu?"

"Ah… You all seem so familiar." In a different sense…

"Oh. This one." She muttered pointing to Yukimura. "He said you beat him before at an elementary tennis tournament."

"Ah… I remember…" he said, still feeling that he's missing something. He decided to shrug it off for now.

"You're amazing, Mitsu…"

He gaped at her sudden blunt compliment. He was glad of course, but he didn't think he deserved it.

"I have never defeated Seichi before…"

"Ah…" he paused. "But I only defeated him because his illness had been acting up. He wasn't able to use that technique of his that I heard before."

"ESP Tennis?"

"Yes."

"Well, he never used it on me before for who-knows-what. But I couldn't defeat him nevertheless…"

"What about Atobe?"

"I beat_ him_ all the time. " She shrugged. "But with his improvements and my seeming lack of it… I don't know if it's still the same."

"That's why I keep telling you for days now to stop worrying and start training."

She let out a quiet laugh. "That's a little unconnected."

"No its not."

She smiled, and then proceeded with a serious tone of voice. "You know it's hard…"

"But at least try harder." He stated firmly. Worrying was _his_ job. He wanted her to feel as comfortable as possible, especially if she was with him.

She tilted her head down, and she flinched slightly when she felt his huge hands hold the side of her head and pull him to his chest. She flinched because the arm he used was the injured one.

"Like I _said_, it's fine. Something like this doesn't hurt."

She scoffed. "…much"

He smiled. "You're sound like a house wife."

"*cough* HEY!" she said moving abruptly in embarrassment, making Tezuka wince from the sudden jolt of pain. And her eyes widened when she realized.

"Wha—Gomen!"

Kunimitsu willed himself to remain calm, and so he looked at her serenely. He then touched her head and patted it, as he smiled reassuringly.

"I love you, Reina." He uttered making her flush even more. He laughed at the sight, and he leaned down to kiss her forehead. And it helped with his insecurities…,

Even if it was just a little bit.

**…**

TEZUKA HOUSEHOLD

That night, after speaking with Reina over the phone (because they talked after he got back home, too). He was planning, or convinced rather, on finally taking a rest. The day had been quite stressful, after all. The only time it was not was when he was with Reina and he wasn't thinking about what other men meant to her…

Tezuka layed down his bed and stared at the ceiling. The were a little too close, weren't they? As many times as he had said this, he trusted Reina. It was all those men that he didn't – especially when she trusted _them_ so much, to the point that he couldn't picture her suspecting her 'best friends' even the slightest of having those male urges, especially with her involved.

No. This could not go on.

He swore to have a serious talk with Reina about it the first thing in the morning. And he knew he would have an even worse head-ache than he was having now.

And then, out-of-nowhere, his phone rang again. He was expecting it to be Reina.

"Reina?"

"Unfortunately, I am not your girl friend." A very deep voice answered making him jolt. He mentally pulled himself together.

"How did you get my number?"

"Reina sent it to me without my consent." He ranted, "That girl… is really so dense."

He frowned. "You…"

"Don't worry, Tezuka." He said decisively, obviously fighting with himself about something. "She had no idea how I feel, I was there when she was crying heavily because of the confusion she was feeling after all. I know all too well it will bring her nothing good."

His fist curled around his phone involuntarily. He was _there_?

"She was shaking in her bed. I had a hard time feeding her…"

His eyes jerked. _Feeding_ her? _In her _**room**_**?**_

He let out a deep, deep breath and massaged his forehead. "What do you want, Atobe?"

"I'm just here to clarify things up – if by some chance Reina said something about me wanting to apologize then she misunderstood. Everything that happened during the game was planned by me."

"Whatever you say, Atobe." Tezuka said tiredly.

"Good." He responded arrogantly.

"Well, that is all Tezuka. Good night."

"Ah."

And Tezuka hung up, experiencing rather bad case of head-ache.

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER XXXVII:**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XXXVIII: A Week of Eccentricity – Part I**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Animelover4ever- **Aaannd your ponderings are answered in this chap. So… did she outmother the mother hen or not? Ahahahah~ Thanks for the comment!

**Mintleafeon-** Aww yeah~ xD The trouble won't be that big, though~ At least not any bigger than in the canon. *wink* In any case, hope the following events are nice enough and thx for the comment~!

**TarundoruSlap**- Wahahha. First off I'm glad that it's worth it. xD And yes! Thank you for reminding me this is all my fault. xD I will do my best~! o/

**BurnedSpy**- Gomen ne~ It's hard to put in a closed ending in the middle of an ongoing story with some drama. Hehehe. Thanks for the reminder tho~

**PurpleScorpion- **Thank you for the review and I'm so glad you loved it. xD And in retrospect, there could have been more events in this chapter that can give the title justice but here's what I have for now~ Ahahah

**AngelN- **hehehe~ Hi there! xD Thanks for the attempt to comment. I appreciate it. :D

**Heroldalefan**- hahaha. I love Hyotei and yes! The characters could use some more limelight. xD And the crit was noted~I agree with you! Dunno why I hadn't thought of that. Haha. Thx for the review!

**oxCuteKataraox**- Yay~ Thanks for the review! Glad you liked my characterization of Jirou and the other characters. (/)9 And indeed! What Atobe needs are more girls worshipping him. LOL.

**xDarkxKurokox- **Hahaha. I like your narration! Feels like the men are in a boxing ring or something. xDDD But if they do that, Reina'll definitely faint. xD And btw, I can't open my PM for vaaaaaarious reasons. xD Sorry for making you all cringy. I'll try to make non-vague reviews~

**Natasya Ivashkov-** Lololol. I won't say anything about Atobe/Yukimura confessing. *wink* And glad you'll stay tuned! xD Thanks for the review~

**DreamUnicorn247**- Thank you for the review~! And here it is! I sure do hope that it's worth the wait~! Lololol

**Kikumarucat**- Yay~! Glad you liked the Atobe PoV~ It was fun to write. xD And thank you for the review! :D

**Blueberryxn- **Some say it's their revenge since they had a hard time as students, too. HAhahha. Anyway~ Thx for the review!

**Shadowhawk- I**ndeed~! xD I'll try to make it better for him, too! After I get it better for Fuji. xD Anyways, most of your hopes have been answered! Lol. Thanks for the review btw~

**ChaosDragon- **Thanks for the comment~! I am not sure what you mean by 'tennis caption' tho. xDD

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><p>…<p>

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading!<strong>

**If you're not in so much of a rush, do pause for a moment and let me know your thoughts! ****  
>They all motivate me so!<strong>


	38. A Week of Eccentricity I

Thanks so much for reading this far! Special shout-out to those who reviewed, my angels, as well as those who faved, followed, and C2d the story.

I'm so sorry for taking so long to update now. T_T I just have a hard time juggling school, fanart-making, my Facebook life, and all those bunnies on different stories on different fandoms. xD

**Anyway, since the 2-part Week of Eccentricity is kinda filler-ey, I'm probably gonna finish the next chapter sooner… Granted, as always, that most of my angels already read this chapter by then. **

**Whatever the case, feel free to tell me whatever you thought and I'd appreciate every single feedback you will send me. ;) **

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

**WARNING: ** filler episodes from the anime literally _compressed,_ so I apologize if so many events are 'breeze throughs'. xD

2. Minimal Pillar pair moments. Gomen nasai… I'll put more on the next chap, I swear!

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><p>…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XXXVIII: A Week of Eccentricity – Part I<strong>

_UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, A few years ago  
><em>

_Pak_

Pak

_PAK_

Small bespectacled brown orbs followed a small, yellow, ball get passed from one side of the courts to another. He was still small, it seemed, since the gate and fences were especially big. He was standing at the gate of a public court watching children play tennis.

There were four of them and they were playing by twos. One team consisted of two very different looking people, while the other was the complete opposite. One had silver hair, one had blue, and two had dark black hair with shades of green.

He felt his heart beat faster and faster as they hit ball after ball so skilfully, and the fact that they were all having so much fun and joy. But then, out-of-nowhere, the smaller of the black-haired children suddenly laughed, making him feel all warm inside. And then, as if feeling his gaze, she whipped her head to him…

…and smiled.

Tezuka's eyes opened abruptly.

He stared at the ceiling for a while and absorbed the fact that he just had a dream. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and turned his head to the side table, noting that he wasn't groggy at all. But he looked at the clock and saw that it was barely 2 in the morning.

He rested the back of his neck on his soft pillow again and further looked at the ceiling to ponder about his dream. It wasn't everyday he could recall them so clearly after all… and, in fact, he was partly sure it was more of a memory than a dream.

He was still so young back then…, and he accidentally watched _them_ play when his father brought him with him in America for a business trip. He frowned… due to various emotions, and he touched his forehead. Again.

He remembered now…

That was the reason he started playing tennis.

**…**

It was early Sunday morning that day and Reina woke up quite refreshed. She turned her head and heard a gentle 'meow', making her grin as she sat up. She patted her feline, who gladly relished her touch.

Reina chuckled when she saw Karupin fall asleep again, before turning her head to her side table, where her phone lied passively. Her petite, calluosed, hands took it slowly and she checked her mail. The usual texts from Sakuno, Ann, and Hona was there saying their respective 'good nights' she often failed to reply since she was already asleep. She replied to them with 'good mornings' before finally dialling her voice mail.

"Ohayou." She smiled, the moment the other person picked up the phone. As always, a warm feeling enveloped her every time she heard his voice.

"Ohayou."

"How's your arm?"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." He answered but she titled her head in puzzlement and worry.

"You sound strained."

There was a pause. "I was supposed to go to my grandfather's tomorrow…"

"But…?"

"I don't think I have the energy to face him, at the moment." He admitted bitterly and she stared at the ceiling and tried to look for a good response. None came.

"Is that so…" She paused. "Well there's no rush, is there?"

"We never know with my grandfather." He said, obviously pondering exactly that. There was silence afterwards and Reina waited patiently for his reply. It came, and what he was about to say sounded important. "…Reina…"

"…yes?"

"…nothing."

She blinked, and raised an eyebrow. _Seriously?_, she mused in disbelief and voiced it out. "Seriously?"

"Ah."

She frowned. What was he holding back, she wondered. But considering everything that happened, she didn't want to pressure him. Speaking of which…

"Do you want to hang out?"

"I'd love to…, but I'm discouraged to move around." He said. "You shouldn't worry about me."

"I can come there if you want…"

"It's fine." He said, almost dismissively. "Go and have some time for yourself."

She stared at her phone. "If you say so…" She mumbled, a little bitterly, since he was basically asking some distance as well. "But I can accompany you tomorrow right?" She didn't want him to go to the hospital without her again.

There was a small sigh on the other line, telling her he smiled a bit. "Very well."

She, too, smiled. "See you soon."

**…**

That day, Reina decided to jog around to release some stress, clear her mind, and escape from house chores. She eventually ran to Kaidoh, who was just basically yelled at by a woman for almost 'hurting' her cute little puppy. She smirked at the sight, her senpai really had a scary face but he was all mushy inside.

Hona was the live witness to _that_.

Speaking of Hona—

"Ne, senpai, where's Hona?" she asked nonchalantly and he flinched at her sudden appearance. He was just jogging not expecting to see anyone he knew… especially when that person probably saw the little embarrassing scene that happened earlier. But more importantly, he had to hide his blush as an image of Hona floated above his head.

"How should I know?"

"Well, I just thought you'd know…" she muttered, having an expectation that they would always be together. In Kaidoh's case, she was expecting that Hona would be jogging with him and cheering him on. She shrugged, maybe she'll just ask her by phone later.

Kaidoh whipped his head to the side. "Okay, where's Fuji-senpai then?"

One of her brows raised. "How should I know?"

"Isn't he your boyfriend?"

"*cough* Of course not."

Kaidoh batted an eyelid. "Eh."

Ryoma sighed. Darnit all, and all the misunderstandings that that sadist-wanabee started. "He was just bored – and since when have I responded to his insanities?"

"…"

"Anyway…" she muttered and then postured to run, Kaidoh did the same. But as they stepped forward, the other seemed to go to the other direction and hence they pretty much block each other's way. Veins appeared all around them and soon enough their run turned to a jogging race.

**…**

One exhausting hour later… the two ended up _somewhere…_ and their steps halted when a group of kids suddenly yelled "ECHIZEN RYOMA! SUGOI!" Or something like that. They suddenly ran around only to end up bumping to Kaidoh.

Kaidoh's eyes twitched in annoyance while Ryoma's eyes ended up somewhere interesting. She couldn't help her smirk.

It was kind of a long story, so to make it short: Shiba-san put Kaidoh's photo under her name, and apparently she got a fan (the kid running around) due to the article.

The aforementioned kid thought Kaidoh was her because of this, she pretended to be Horio, and the kid challenged Momo's fan/neighbour (who was his friend – yes, small world) that Ryoma-Kaidoh was better than him.

Eiji, being as helpful as ever, (and appearing out-of-nowhere) suggested and umpired the match after successfully putting drama and convincing Kaidoh to pretend for the kid.

"Ah~ poor kid…" He mumbled in feign sadness, showing his back to Kaidoh. He was so having fun with this.

"F-Fine."

And so the match begun, with the kid incessantly shouting her techniques at Kaidoh when he was about to hit the balls, rendering him unable to hit properly… and thus looking quite like an idiot.

Everything was pretty entertaining that day, and she felt much more relaxed – sure, she (along with Momo and Eiji) made Kaidoh snap – but it really was fun. When Kaidoh eventually snapped, though, he revealed his own identity and techniques—earning _himself_ a new fan.

She stared at the admiring children.

…and then she suddenly remembered how _they_ must've looked like as children.

She smiled. They were good memories.

* * *

><p><strong>…<strong>

* * *

><p>Monday. That day she could oversleep again given that it was mixed-club day… a school activity that would start later in the morning. She was able to maximize that fact now, however, and actually did oversleep. She ate her breakfast and got ready and waited for Momoshiro since Tezuka was resting in his house.<p>

Eventually, Momoshiro arrived.

She heard a whistle from behind her. It was her brother, grinning slyly. "Ne, Momoshiro! Where's your cute girlfriend?"

He turned as red as a tomato. "Ryoga-san!"

Ryoma just sighed, not particularly in the mood to listen to that particular topic. She would just miss him all over again. "Let's go senpai… My brother's just lonely since he doesn't have one yet."

Momoshiro cackled. "Ouch!"

And it did… for Ryoga was then a statue.

**…**

As they walked to school, Momo had finally asked the question that had bothered him since they left the temple.

"Ne, Echizen. How come your brother doesn't have a girlfriend? I mean, he's… got pretty much everything a girl could ask for."

Ludwig scoffed. "Yeah, right. Maybe you should turn into a girl."

Momo's eyes jerked and Ryoma just shrugged. "Oh, he _had_ one. Only one – his whole life."

Momo whistled. He should be in his late teenage years now and only _one_ girlfriend? "For such a good-looking and athletic guy like him, you'd expect him to act more like a lady-killer."

"Why'd they break up, then?" Ludwig asked obviously regretting the fact that he actually did. Momoshiro smirked.

"Ehh… You're too young to be interested in thes—"

"I'm a kid, bushybrows, I'm _supposed_ to be curious."

"Touche, Ludwig. And it's good that you're actually learning from me."

"What's so good about him learning that hideous nickname?!"

"It's funny." She smiled and Ludwig sneered.

"Che. Just answer the question old hag."

_Twitch_

"Hell I will."

"Come on, Echizen. Is it a secret?"

"Well, not really."

"Then we won't stop bugging you until you blurt it out."

Her eyes jerked. _'Curse it.'_

"Come now…" Momo smiled slyly and she just sighed. It's not like Ryoga's keeping it from anyone, anyway.

"She used to be my body guard. But when we had to move here, they had to separate. Besides, she immediately got a new job there… so…"

"Hmm… A less dramatic scenario than I would have imagined…"

"You watch too many soap operas."

He blushed. "I do _not_!"

"Sure you don't." She shrugged and hastened her pace to the gate. She omitted the fact that their break-up _really_ was kind of dramatic, given Ryoga and Maria was quite… cheesy.

Momo growled in embarrassment.

"Oi! ECHIZEEENN!" he yelled, only to be ignored. Reina was recalling those days and felt like laughing. She was not exposed to the two's Public displays of Affection yet. Seichi and Keigo made sure of that…

She only appreciated it _now_, more than half a decade later.

**…**

SEIGAKU MIDDLE SCHOOL

They ended up in their school gates with a large banner over the entrance with _Mixed club day! _Written all over it. Everyone (well almost) was excited of this day, wherein students could arbitrarily play at sports club wherein they did not belong to.

Ryoma and Momo stared at each other and smirked, before parting ways. And as always, as everyone would realize an hour later, every one of the tennis team's regulars shined.

The golden duo showed off their cooperation in volleyball, Inui his monstrous calculating and Kawamura's powershots (and bad English accent) in baseball, Momoshiro with his awesome dunks, and Kaidoh with his boomerang snake (and lack of passion – or just knowledge – on sports other than tennis).

The children were allowed to play, too. Michael was extremely big for his age, and was thus allowed to play soccer. Kumi tried out badminton, while Ludwig… well, he said it was a secret.

Ryoma was going for Ping Pong – a sport she had never tried before. She brought with her a Ping Pong for dummies guide, which much to her perplexity amused Ludwig. Sure, he was only smirking – but she could _so_ see that smug look on his face-

"Echizen Ryoma." A voice emitted from behind her. She lazily turned back and saw a kid with glasses dribbling a small ball with his ping pong… racket. He then started muttering about its time for his 'legacy' to end or something.

"Who was that?" Ludwig, who had just walked in, asked her.

"Who knows…" She shrugged and stared at him. "You're going to play here?"

"Yeah. I'm too small for football."

She gaped at him, finally deducing why he looked so arrogant. "Ehh. You better give me a good game then."

"Assuming you reach the championship." He said pompously. Were they hanging out too much? He sure was turning like a miniature male version of her. Well, at least he was talking relatively long sentences now…

And so, Ryoma only smirked. "Likewise."

**…**

A few games later, she proved to be successful in holding to her side of the challenge… and pretty easily too, and so it was Ludwig's turn to prove his side by battling the odd boy that approached her earlier.

"Musashi vs. Lienstein!"

The boy seemed extremely annoyed for getting a 6-year old as an opponent. He was a ping pong prodigy for goodness' sakes!

But he ate those words. Bitterly.

He put up a good fight – he had won 26 international battles out of the 26 official matches that he played, after all. But he still lost by _2_ points.

"Shikussooooo." He mumbled and continued ranting as he punched the floor. "I… I should have won the champi—"

"Poor floor." Ryoma commented catching his attention.

"Your team must be weak, to have someone like you as a regular…" Ludwig muttered enflaming Musashi, and catching her by surprirse. "… and you must be too, to have to quit the club just to join the tournament where you are sure to win."

Ryoma internally smiled proudly. _'I couldn't have said it any other way—' _Then, she blinked.., and stared at the ceiling momentarily as if to see if something interesting was there. In retrospect, that may have been too harsh… you know, coming from a 6-year old foreigner. She quickly thought of something, since it was kind of her responsibility to make this kid into a responsible adult. She was not being a good example.

"Our team is strong because it's… loved." She whispered out-of-nowhere thinking of a certain buchou. The eyes of the two people who could heard widened slightly. She pulled down her hat. It was an embarrassing thing to say to people that was not Mitsu. The boy stood up and glared at her.

"I'll return to the Ping Pong club and make it stronger. And then I'll come back and challenge you."

She smiled by a millimetre, she was glad but she just couldn't stop being Ryoma at the moment. "Kind of embarrassing for a regular to challenge – no, _aim_ – to beat a player that is not even a Ping Pong player, ne?"

"Che." The boy muttered acting offended – which he was, in a sense—but he was still a tad relieved, anyway. Besides, what was he doing saying that to the other freshman when he wasn't even the one who beat him?

The championship came and Ryoma won 21-25 by using tennis as a style for Ping pong. This annoyed Ludwig, of course.

"Cheater."

"It's called resourcefulness, kiddo. Learn from the master."

He looked away in irritation, "Che."

But she mentally smiled, she knew it was just childish annoyance. She liked childish. Well… Ludwig_ needed _to be childish. He was 6 years old, after all.

And she was glad she was a part of it.

* * *

><p><strong>…<strong>

* * *

><p>The rest of the week had been uneventful. Ryoma and Tezuka usually went to the hospital after practice, and Friday was supposedly not an exemption. However, Tezuka made a point that she need not accompany him every day, especially on a Friday. She said she wanted to, and he changed the 'need not' to simply' not.<p>

That Friday, there was no practice so they could go earlier than usual. And since Kunimitsu had to go to his check-up and her brother who-knew-where, Momo would walk her home. The odd part was he seemed almost groggy. She was not used to Momo being groggy.

"What's wrong Momo-senpai?"

He just smiled. "Nothing, really. And where's Ludwig?"

"He's with Michael and Kumi." She answered and then abruptly squinting her eyes. "You have a date with Ann-chan?"

He blushed.

"I can walk home from here, you know…" She said stoically. It _was_ still early…

Momoshiro flinched at the offer, feeling a tad guilty. "N-No. Ha-ha. It's fine, I still have an hour."

"So, what's the problem, then?"

"Ann-chan… there's just something off…" he said watching the pavement, and Ryoma just gaped at him incredulously.

"Hm… Are you sure you're not being paranoid? Someone like you wouldn't be able to sense that."

"H-How _rude_!"

"It's true."

"B-But…"

"What happened?"

He turned to into a strawberry with black leaves as he uttered incoherent sentences. "I… sort of _tried_ t-to m-make o-out with her but she pushed me away a-and then looked at me as if I was a monster…"

Make-out… "What is that?"

Steam came out of his ears. "Nothing…"

"Really? Why are you so bothered then?"

"I-It's _embarrassing!"_

"How?"

"GAH!"

"I won't help you, then."

"Okay. Okay!" He yelled in defeat and then conditioned himself to speak as coherently as possible. But then he stared at the small figure beside him.

"Maybe not."

"Oi." Ryoma frowned and then she winced instantaneously as someone from behind her answered the question.

"Making out is something like kissing. Only more passionate." Inui stated out-of-nowhere, with his handy-dandy notebook exposed to his pen.

Unfortunately, a certain scene popped on Ryoma's head making her blush furiously.

Momo's eyes widened. "Oh my—GAHAHAH! Oh wa essadnasdji iwewqd You actually _got_ that?! ShdHQWBKDSHJ!"

" ."

"URUSAAI! And what are you doing here Inui-senpai?"

"I was on my way to the library when I saw you two, since we're going the same way I thought that I might as well walk with you."

"Surely you're not bothered…?" Inui asked rhetorically with his eyeglasses beaming like hell. Momo, on the other hand, just grinned sheepishly at her.

"Ne, Ryoma-chan~ What are you thinking?"

She turned away. "Nothing."

"Eehhh…"

"Urusai." She uttered. "I definitely won't help you with Ann-chan."

"What—Gomen _nasai_ Echhiiizzzzeen. Please ask her how she's feeling – without telling her I asked of course!"

"…" Ugh, the puppy dog eyes… Very _un-cute_ puppy dog eyes.

"Pleasee?"

"No"

"I'll treat you an all you can eat snack."

Then there was a silence of deep thought. "Okay, until M—Buchou returns." She finally stated. Momo's eyes, on the other hand, twitched. He knew all too well what that would mean to his poor wallet. But Ann's worth way more than any collection of wallets that he had. He eventually sighed in defeat.

"_Fine."_

**...**

Eventually, they arrived at the meeting spot and saw Ann was waiting right outside Jollibee. And she was with… Fuji?

Momoshiro felt his heart skip a beat, they were all smiles and talking before they had noticed them. That moment, Momoshiro visibly paused and Ryoma had to nudge him. Eventually, Ann noticed them and waved. Ann blinked for a moment when she saw her, and grinned.

"Reina-chan~" Ryoma nodded, and then recalled something upon seeing Ann smile cutely at Momo.

"Anyway, Fuji-senpai, what are you doing with Ann-chan?" She asked and then slightly tilted her head to point to Momo. Fuji got the message of course, but he was Fuji. He smirked.

"Sa… Reina-chan, are you jealous?"

_TWITCH_

"Whatever."

"Aw~ Reina… it won't hurt to admit it you know…" He mumbled semi-jokingly and placed his hand on her shoulders.

Momoshiro blushed, but then batten an eyelid when Fuji drew an imaginary square in the middle of the space between them. "It would be interesting if this is a love square."

Ann flinched, Ryoma ignored him, and Momoshiro – being as idiotic as always—panicked.

"A-A LOVE SQUARE?!"

_...Meanwhile, on the other side of the road..._

"Love square?" A familiar boy with glimmering eyeglasses (who was just with them a few minutes prior) muttered in curiosity and he whipped his head to the stair. It was no other than Inui, of course, he had separated from that pair but it seemed like he was going to sneak behind them again…

"Very interesting…" He mumbled in his usual, creepily-crawling, tone-of-voice, and opened his phone to make it all possibly even richer in data.

_...Back to the Love square..._

"We are _not_ a love square! W-We…"

"Are going to have a double date! Ne, Reina-chan~?"

"Whatever."

"That's the laziest reply of the century."

"I know." She said and just slightly stepped away from them. She did not want to be associa—

"Saa… Reina, are you sure you want to cheat?"

_...Meanwhile, on the other side of the road... Again..._

Now that Inui was more alert, he could hear the conversation more readily…

"Double date?" _Scribble Scribble_

_Glimmer_

"Cheating?" He asked himself and proceeded to look at the group. Reina was blushing prettily in embarrassment and was muttering about how much of a pervert and a retard Fuji was…

He smirked.

"Ii. Data."

**…**

As the 'square' walked to their destination, Momoshiro tried to think of what Fuji meant but he was too distracted by Ann acting all normal to think properly… not that he would be able to come up with a decent conclusion any other way.

They arrived and saw two of Fudomine's players – Kamio and Shinji. Kamio, as usual, waved enthusiastically at the sight of Ann… and then simultaneously glaring at the sight of Momo. Shinji, meanwhile, walked closer to Ryoma, and Fuji frowned inconspicuously.

"Ah."

Ryoma batted an eyelid and just nodded by a centimetre. "Ah."

_Whooossh~_ Said the wind, and there was then silence.

"Anyway," Momo asked, "What are we doing here Ann?"

Ann just grinned. "Hi-Mi-Tsu!"

"Ehh…" Reina teased in her usual stoic tone. She shook away the stutter that she felt mistaking the 'himitsu' to 'kimitsu' with 'Kunimitsu'. Sometimes she wished such closely spelled words didn't exist…

Everyone was quiet for a second, but Kamio broke it immediately.

"Ann-chan! Please break up with him! He's good for n—"

Momo jerked. "Oi!"

"He stole my bike and stepped on his teammate and he didn't even care!"

"_You_ stepped on my teammate!"

"But he's not my teammate."

"Why y—"

Reina tuned out the argument that came after, so she basically only stared at the two as they bantered shamelessly with volume that could wake up the heaviest sleeper in Japan. Eventually, some new comers caught her sight and her brain registered the words again.

"HEY! Why the hell is it so noisy in there?!"

The others flinched at the newcomers who so gallantly cut the arguments. It was some of the St. Rudolf regulars—Mizuki, Fuji, and Yanagisawa.

The people absorbed the coincidence, and Momo, being the one who was actually thinking the most (thanks to insecurities regarding his girlfriend), was the one who was able to speak first. "What are you guys doing here?"

Ludwig scoffed at that 'ingenious' question. "Oh you know, shopping for food."

"Urusai."

"Saa… Ludwig-kun can actually be a comedian."

Ryoma let out a momentary laugh, and everyone was silent. Again.

"What are you three doing here?" Momo asked again. Kumi was the one who answered, evidently amused by the new type of reply (sarcasm) that she was learning.

"Oh you know, playing video games. Pfft—"

"Who are they?" Shinji was the one who spoke coherently this time, as if to prove he wasn't affected by the silence _and_ someone's smile. He faced Ryoma, and Ryoma consequently stared at the three.

She noted how familiar-looking they were, and very entertaining scenes subsequently passed through her head. She reflexively (well, sort-of) pointed at the younger Fuji. "AH. I rememeber… you're that guy I beat."

_Twitch_

"You're also Fuji-senpai's brother."

_Twitch Twitch_

She then shifted to Mizuki, and Yanagisawa respectively. "He was crushed by Fuji-senpai."

Yanagisawa let out a boisterous laugh, "AAHHAHAHAHHA", until—

"And he was blown away by Momo senpai."

And they all lost their balance. "OI! USE OUR NAMES, DAMNIT!" Mizuki yelled pointing at Ryoma, and then moving it to Shinji's direction.

"And we met at the tournament, idiot! Are you two soulmates or something?" Mizuki yelled in irritation, pertaining to Ryoma and Shinji. Ryoma didn't read into it while Shinji looked at the clouds.

"Soul mates. That actually sounds quite g—"

"Saa… You shouldn't say those things so casually…" Fuji intervened making his eye twitch. He cleared his throat and approached him.

"Ah, Fuji… long time no see…."

"Who are you, again?"

_Tsk. _Mizuki gritted his teeth. He was _obviously_ just pretending not to know him! The bastard—

And then out-of-nowhere Fuji held Echizen's shoulders. Tightly.

Mizuki's irritation flew away and was replaced with curiosity. How could he forget _that_ gossip about him and Reina? He whipped his head towards Yuuta's direction but for some reason he looked quite calm… for the moment anyway.

Yuuta, on the other hand, stared at the newcomers passively. With his brain acting on its own at the moment, his mind was blank like some sort of defence mechanism. He was, at the moment, a robot. "What are you doing here, aniki?" He asked almost monotonously. His brother just smiled like usual, while Ann-chan couldn't help but answer for him.

"We're on a double date."

_Silence_

"A d-_date_?" Yuuta voiced out with a sceptical tone and looked at Fuji.. and Ryoma in alteration. And then images – so many repeating images – played like a movie above his head. His brother confessing his orientation, his brother confessing his feelings for the boy, and the said boy actually _kissing passionately_ another man he greatly admired for so long—

Yuuta's sight blurred… and then soon whatever he was looking at darkened…

And then there was nothing.

.

.

_SLAP! SLAP! _

SLAP!

"Yuuta-kun don't die!" Yanagisawa yelled in despair as he continually slapped the then-unconscious Fuji Yuuta.

He abruptly woke up, irritated, and he let his body do its thing.

_BAM!_

He opened his eyes and saw that Yanagisawa was blown away again, and Mizuki was just blinking.

"Ara…?"

_Not bothered by his brother and Ryoma's queerness?_ Mizuki mused, looked at his kouhai, and then he shrugged.

"Maybe not."

**.**

**END OF CHAPTER XXXVIII**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XXXIX: A Week of Eccentricity – Part II**

* * *

><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Animelover4ever69- **OMG that passed through my head as well (the AtobexYuki pair) but I'm not yet confident with yaoi. Hahah. Plus I'm pairing one of them with someone. *wink* ehehe. Thx for the comment~

**MintLeafeon- **hahaha. Glad you found the royal pair interactions funny xD The conversation'll probably occur next chap or so though~! Hehe. Thank you for the comment! xD

**TarundoruSlap- **Lol. N'aw~ Considering this couple the talk's not particularly serious. Hahaha. It'll happen in a few chaps though. I'm following the anime. Thanks for the review, btw!

**Herondalefan- **Hahaha. Atobe and Reina in speaking distance of each other? Sure! Next chapter. xD Thanks for the review and glad you thought it was a great chapter. I'll do my best to keep it up. xD

**Flame55**- Hehehe. Thanks for the review! I won't say what'll happen in the nationals tho. *wink*

**Millennium Snow**- Hehehe. Yes, yes, we just love seeing stoic people getting jelly. *high-five* And thx for the comment! xD

**Shadowhawk**- Oh lol. Yeah… I'm still actually pondering if Tezuka will ever as that of her. Hahah. Probably something really mild. Not sure tho. And lol! Tezuka thanks you for the Motrin. And perhaps more importantly—for your review. xDD

**PurpleScorpion- **Yeah~ The team'll find out soon. xD I'm not sure if I'll make it too flashy or something they'd probably do. Hopefully it isn't disappointing. Thanks for the review, btw~

**Blueberryxn**- Lol. Thanks for the review~! And yeah! That's sometimes the case…, like children and parents. But! Imagine Fuji being your teacher… that's sadism with a smile.

**CherryAmes15- (ch20**) I'm glad you liked how it's going together! Hopefully you're reading this. Haha.** (ch21) **Yay~! And he'll say he loves you too. Hahaha. /shot. Of course, thank you for the reviews! :D

**Cha3- (ch3) **Hai~! xD I'm doing a love triangle around there…. Lol. I sure do hope you're reading this and thanks for the review!

**JA. Yume28- (ch1**) And now we begin the long reply-session lol. And yes! Actually he was supposed to play that part, not an OC. xD But a better idea came… hehe** (ch2) **N'aw~ She'll crossdress, as you already know. xD I love crossdressing~ hehe. Esp. since she's still 12 there. ;)

**(ch3) **Yeah~ How nostalgic those lines! As I've written them 2 years ago. xD Yay! Glad you liked the names. They're one of the most enjoyable parts to write.** (ch4) **Don't make the Fuji-Tezuka-Ryoma love triangle, you say?! Too late. Hahahah. Hope you'll be fine with it soon~! Oh wait… xD

**(Ch5**) Oh you mean the crossdressings and love triangles? Hehehehe** (ch6**) Ah~ The regulars there only left school after classes. So they were absent only in the practices. xD** (ch7) **hehehe. Indeed! You know if I write yaoi I would make one with MomoxRyoga. /shot**. **

**(ch8) **lool. It's cuz' it's fun to write? Hehehehe. And I dunno how, really, I chose Eiji. Lol.** (ch9) **loool. Yep~ Reina's sooo lucky but she has nooo idea! Hahah** (ch10**) lool. *apir mga kinikilig (although ako kinikilig sa mga review mo lol)* at haha—you should, indeed, sleep. xD You really have an odd bio-clock, my love! Hopefully this doesn't affect your schooling negatively, ne? :D

**(ch11**) lol welcome back~! xD And you'll see, or rather saw, why tezuka's avoiding her in the next chapter. xD** (ch12**) You should~! xD It's_really_ unrealistic, but it's POT! No one cares, so long as our beloved characters are there. Heheh** (ch13**) LOL. Inui-Fuji tandem = Insanity. xD hahaha** (ch14) **Lol. I know right! I almost used Eiji… but then I wanted to be weird. Hahahah

**(ch15**) E-Eh?! xD It might not be me, though. You're just a very good reader I guess. Heheheh Glad you fangirled over this though~! Hahaha** (ch16) **haha. I love Ibu and his monologues too! *high five* I wish I was just as funny when I monologue, but…

**(ch17**) Lol OMG almost 4am and you're still reading?! xD Not sure if I'd be happy or worried for both of us. Hahaha. Let's hope your parents don't nag you cuz' of me. xD** (ch18) **IKR. I just saw him as someone who loves to take pictures. xD So kawai!** (ch19**) OMG you didn't guess?! YAY! Hahahah. So awesome I managed to surprise you with this. Lol. And the story and I loves you, too. ;D** (ch20) **Lol. Amazing bishies are popping up like cute lil' mushrooms. Hahahha. And pushes Fuji to you. Here ya' go~ xD** (ch21**) EEH? *blushes* I'm happy you're enjoying it and even thought it was the best (so far)! Ahhaha Makes me so giddy…, and I looove you too. xDD

**(ch22**) Eiji? Sure! He's with Karupin tho. Joke. xD But I'm kinda thinking of *spoiler* pairing him with Kumi in the future. She's still too young atm, tho, so have him while he's still available! Hehe *end spoiler*

**(ch23) **Lol. Actually you were right! Ibu's getting the feels and he needed to know what was different with Ryoma since he couldn't quite see the feminine pheromones she emits. Haha** (ch24) **YES! Keigo's the only one so far which I don't see paired with anyone in the end… yet. Hahaha** (ch25) **Atobe and his shaved head? lol I remember that scene too! It has been a while and still friggin' laughing as hell.

**(ch26**) Aww. Ore-sama is happy for your support. Haha. *hands over tissue* Saa… don't cry! xD** (ch27**) I actually pictured your change of expression here. HAHAHAHA. You're adorable.

**(ch28) **Yep. It'll happen. The story's around there atm. xD And man… you have 7:30 classes?! I hope you're not too tired to listen to classes! D:) .** (ch29) **Coool! But isn't that song reaaaally cool and metallic? I loved it! And perhaps it's fine to hurt him when he has you to support him and pat him on his back, yes? XD

**(ch30) **Yep~! Have you watched La Corda' D' oro already? She's a character from there. And it's reverse harem! Hahah** (ch31**) Lol. Challenge accepted, Jamie, challenge accepted! And done. xDDD Thank you very much for your reviews! :D *hugs*

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><p>…<p>

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><p>Thanks for reading everyone! xDD<p>

And see this wonderful box right here? It would be awesome if you write your thoughts!  
>Reading them makes me so happy and motivated, even the negative ones! ;)<p> 


	39. A Week of Eccentricity – part II

**Thanks again for reading this far, folks! As always, special hugs to those who give me motivation to write—those who reviewed, fave'd, followed, and those who even went to follow my page. xD Seriously folks, you make me happy. **

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>…<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XXXIX: A Week of Eccentricity – part II<strong>

There were players from Seigaku, St. Rudolf, and Fudomine… and there were quite a bit of challenges being thrown around. Mizuki to Fuji; Kamio to Momo; and Shinji-Yuuta to Ryoma. Yuuta actually acted like he didn't care Ryoma was gay – he just wanted to play with him, and then Shinji suddenly got possessive and mumbled about him being uncivilized.

"How am I uncivilized again?"

"You should know that since I talked to Echizen first, I have the right to play with him before you. Geez, you don't even kno—"

"Is that so? Wait—_Right_? And what the hell is with that tone of voice?!"

"Civilized men don't faint out of nowhere, either…"

Yuuta turned red. "I did _not_ faint! Grrr—"

"Mou, boys!" Ann exclaimed loudly making Ryoma pat her back. "Let's just have draw lots, shall we?"

And that they did. There will be two doubles matches that will happen and Ryoma was in the first set. Unfortunately, she was paired with Shinji and they were playing against the Momoshiro-Kamio pair.

It started out well for them, with her twist-shots, but then the two started playing like a real doubles team eventually burying her and Shinji under the ground.

"Che." She uttered with only one game left. But when the courts changed, her eyes caught Fuji and Ann speaking again and then Momo's earlier reaction appeared above her head. An idea popped out of her head, and she has to say it was quite sadistic.

She must have been hanging around with Fuji too much…

As soon as they entered the other side of the court, she approached Shinji and asked him to lean down so she can whisper something. And as if he has an antenna, Fuji turned to their direction and his eyes squint a tad smaller than usual. The two smirked, but Fuji remained quiet to see what they're up to.

"Ne, I wonder how many dates Momo and Ann-chan went to already?"

_THUMP_

"OI! Concentrate man!"

"You superficial jerk! Dating someone isn't all about the dates you know!"

"What the h— OI!"

_BAM!_

"Echizen-Shinji pair 15-love!"

"Darn it." Momo muttered as he eyed his steaming teammate, and gestured to serve- It turned out to be a very pitiful attempt though, after Shinji muttered something embarrassing.

"I wonder how far have they gone?"

_BOOM!_

"TEME—"

"O-OI! Kamio-"

_Bonk_

"Echizen-Shinji pair 30-love!" Mizuki announced, grinning widely. And he will remain that way until he had announced the winner.

"Echizen-Shinji pair wins!"

**…**

BELOW THE STAIRS

"HURRY UP INUI~!" Eiji yelled wanting to pull his friend up the stairs. They're wasting too much time waiting for the others. He could only imagine what they were missing!

Inui was calling his teammates, the last one was Kaidoh… until he finally called the captain. He knew he wouldn't be able to come, considering that he was a few miles ahead but Inui thought it will be interesting to hear him react. Inui was determined to get some data.

"Moshi, Moshi?"

"Tezuka."

"What is it, Inui?"

"It seems like Momoshiro, Echizen, Tachibana, and Fuji are having a love squ—"

_BEEEEP_

"Ah." Inui said and sighed. He shrugged, and then got a call from Kaidoh… Something about what he meant before his kouhai suddenly hug up on him.

He just shrugged again.

"Oh, well…"

TEZUKA RESIDENCE

Tezuka sighed and blankly stared at the phone. Knowing his teammate, what Inui was calling about was nothing worth problematizing about. He was having a lot of problems as already was. One of them was his grandfather, he was supposed to be there since the previous day but he knew he was not in the condition to face such an imposing and powerful figure in his life. Then there was his arm.

And his rivals.

Tezuka was not really worried about Fuji now, not compared to how anxious he was about her two best friends.

He questioned the possibilities with the two of them. She loved them deeply, as friends, considering just how much she changed when they just left her. And there's the fact that she treasures what they gave to her so much…

Yes, Fuji was different. He fears that those two may actually have a chance on making her fall for them.

He knew he would not blame Reina if this happened. How could he? They probably deserved her more than he did… but he, too, could be selfish. He would do whatever he can to keep her and make her happy _himself_…

In any case, whatever he figures out he was in no mood to bother with whatever Inui was calling about.

And so he would ignore him for the rest of the day.

**…**

STREET COURTS

Just after Mizuki announced the winners, a feminine voice yelled apologetically catching them by surprise. "N-Nice try boys! But I really have to go! Gomen ne!"

"Where is she going?"

"Something about a date…" he uttered making the two pale... "With her older brother."

"Geez, Fuji-senpai don't say misleading things like that." Momo squealed, but Fuji ignored him and turned to his little brother.

"Ne, Yuuta let's have a date, too."

"Che. Your brother probably hates you because you say random things like that." Mizuki butted in and added immediately as he felt his glare. "Let's have a break seeing that Fuji-kun is still groggy from his earlier fainting session."

Yuuta's eye twitched even more. "Oi!"

Ryoma stared at Yuuta, albeit only the people who knew her closely would be able to see how worried she was. Fuji called her and gestured for her to sit beside him. Mizuki should be thankful he was a bit distracted at the moment.

She let out a deep breath immediately after sitting. "I can tell him you know, he's not the type to…"

"Shh… Reina. It's fine. I think he's just surprised, besides…" he smirked turning to her further. "The less people that knows the better."

Ryoma didn't say anything. He smirked and raised a finger over his lips. "It's like **our. little. secret.**" He whispered sounding playful… just before he placed a kiss on her forehead.

_CLICK!_

"Ii. Data."

Their eyes widened.

"I-INUI SENPAI!" She exclaimed at an _almost_ girly yell and sprinted to him.

Unfortunately, Inui has a knack for showing off just how tall he was.

'_Give it to me, damnit!_' she expressed and Inui's glasses just squinted. She could swear he was muttering 'Ii. Data' Inside that twisted huge brain of his.

Ryoma then had an idea.

She kicked him squarely on the knee.

"Ouch."

She took her chance and grabbed the phone, but she saw that it was already sent.

"Y-you!"

"Ii. Data."

"Grrrr—"

_Riiinng._ It was Inui's phone. Ryoma looked at it and it said 'Buchou'. She gulped while Inui's eyes glistened even more. Fuji's expression wasn't changing, while the others looked even more befuddled than they should.

"I'm going to massacre you someday, Inui-senpai." She stated firmly before answering the phone. Inui smirked.

"It'll be interesting to see you try."

**…**

"Hello…?" she asked calmly hiding somewhere after running away from her prying upper classmen. At the moment? She was up a tree.

"Reina? What are you—"

"F-Fuji senpai's just being weird again!"

"Reina…"

"I sw—GO AWAY!"

"…Reina?"

"No, it's not you – Eiji-senpai and the others are being—SHOO you freaks!" She answered kicking them out as if they're wolves trying to climb up her tree.

And yes, that would make her like some sort of monkey.

He laughed. "Don't worry Reina, I know how he can be…"

"…"

"I still do mind, of course."

"Reina…"

"Yes…?"

"Don't you think it's about to tell them?"

"Tell them wha—" She stopped herself, realizing what it was. It would be embarrassing but seeing the current situation it really would be the best move. Fuji knew he wouldn't be able to go and openly flirt with someone who was going out with somebody else…

But then, she also knew Tezuka would not want her to reveal her gender and so… that would mean they would think Tezuka's _gay_.

"No."

"Why?"

"I don't want people to look at you like that…"

"It is fine, Reina. Besides, I can always just tell my parents the tr—"

"No." Ryoma firmly replied. There was absolutely no way she was going to let people _look down_ on her Kunimitsu. No way.

She hung up on him and ignored his succeeding calls. She silenced the two phones, deleted the photos (most of which she didn't even know happened) and tinkered with the log before letting herself down the trees.

Well, maybe not.

"I'll only come down there if you stop looking like freaking maniacs!"

"Mou, O'chibi! Just tell us who that was!"

"Yeah yeah!" Momo added, but to his surprise no one else did. They all had that knowing looks on their faces. Ryoma saw this little recognition in Momo's expression.

"Ne, Momo senpai. I can ask Ann-chan to go out sometime and find out how she still thinks of you if you stop bugging me."

"D-Deal."

Eiji looked at him in aghast. "TRAITOR!"

"Saa… Eiji…. Shall we just visit Karupin sometimes?"

"We can?"

"If you stop… Isn't that right, Echizen-chan?" Fuji continued calmly, and Reina just nodded. A weird aura was surrounding him again…

"Yatta!"

**…**

Saturday was hospital day. But this time, she was going with Kunimitsu. They first went to Dr. Oishi for his check-up. Neither of them liked the expression on his face. "I'm afraid this looks more complicated than I hoped it was…" uttered the doctor. Apparently, Oishi already told him the details.

"What can we do, sensei?" Reina asked worriedly, and Tezuka held her hand as they sat side-by-side. He was fighting his urges to hug her determinedly. It was true that she was just getting prettier and prettier everytime he saw her. And the fact that she was wearing feminine clothing did not help him at all…

"Please come back next week. I will have a tests and consultations held for this, okay?" He said in a way that Reina could sense that he was hiding something. She shrugged it off… for now.

"Arigatou, sensei." Tezuka said and they made slight bows simultaneously and headed to the door. She recalled the last time they were there at that corridor and she felt guilty immediately for making him look like that…

Admittedly she was shocked, but still—

"Reina?"

"I'm sorry for looking at you that way."

He smiled. "It was my fault Reina." And grabbed her hand.

She just smiled back at him and followed him passively to the elevator. But then, for a moment she turned around and she could _swear _she saw someone familiar enter Oishi-sensei's room.

'_Keigo?'_

**…**

ROOM 307

Yukimura Seichi sat there in bed in anticipation. It was a good thing Reina called him in advance, and thrashed that surprise-visit-with-surprise-guests idea of hers. There really were good effects from him having that premature heart attack when he found out she was already _dating_ someone.

_Ha… _it still hurts. But he knew he could not be selfish, not with her—she was everything to him ever since that day… all those years ago. He shook his head, and then he heard knocks.

"Come in."

And there they were Reina and Tezuka holding hands… looking happy together…

_Darn it_

Yukimura, nevertheless, hardened his mask. "Hello, Reina. Tezuka- kun."

"Yukimura."

Reina felt the tension, but she had always known Seichhi was as overprotective if her so she wasn't surprised.

"So… I heard you two had played before."

"Aa. It was a close match."

"How ironic that we're both sick, yes?"

"Seichi."

"Gomen, Reina. I… still see you as that little girl I played with a protected all those years ago…"

"How rude, Seichi."

He let out a light laugh and turned to Tezuka. "We should play again someday."

He nodded. He knew that this person had approved of him already, albeit begrudgingly.

"Hai."

**…**

_Two Hours Later_

The couple had already left him several minutes prior, and he was waiting for a few more visitors. One of them though, should have been there already…when Reina was still there.

But then again… that Diva could be quite shy.

He heard the door open.

"You could've knocked."

"Ore-sama did."

"Oh yeah? Then I was probably too busy laughing in my head as I imagine you trying to avoid Reina and her extremely alert antenna."

"Ore-sama doesn't hide. His presence is too great."

"So she saw you?"

"I don't know…"

"Anyway, what did the doctor say?"

He sighed. "Current technique and technology here won't be able to do much…"

"I see…"

"I'm going to ask the coach for help. I hear his girlfriend has connections with good hospitals."

Well, that made Yukimura laugh. "Ehh… You sure are a gossip, Ke-i-go~"

"Stop it. You're creeping me out." He stated and cleared his throat. "Anyway, I just heard that from Oshitari. I never met the woman before."

"In any case, it's sweet of you to try to help him."

"It's is just how great Ore-sama is."

"Well, it is either you want Reina to be away from _him_ or you really just want to help him?"

"N-Neither."

"I say _both_. Ne, Ore-sama?"

"So you say…"

Keigo barely suppressed the growing vein in his head.

"I'm going now."

"Take care. Be sure to look around will you? Or Reina will drill you."

"Shut up, smiley."

And Yukimura just laughed.

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER XXXIX**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XL: Dates**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO REVIEWS<strong>

**JA. Yume28- (ch31) **hahaha. Yes! I don't think I can make Inui go further tho. xD Who knows~ And sure! Please have Eiji. xD **(ch32) **Lol yeah. I always wondered what the A in Drive A mean. It made Akutsu mad, that's what it was. xDD **(Ch33) **Hahah. Yay~! I'm happy you got them fluffy feels. xD But c'mon! I've been writing for a while. All it takes is some practice. ;D **(Ch34) **Oh, hahaha! You know…, we never know. Akaya may actually be a shokoy. *cackles*

**(ch35)** Hahaha. Atobe! Atobe's birthday back then eh?! xD Hope you gave him a hug~** (ch36) **Ahahah. Indeed! It was true wasn't it? xD Shishido's hair is too long!** (ch37**) Lol. Neither did I! xD I just thought it was probable for him to have it, even just hints of it. How can I not write about it? And yay! Glad someone noticed the kids. xD **(ch38) **I'm glad you liked how I write the scene! xD And yes! Fillers are just so… lovably light, right? Here's the update and thank you for the reviews! :DD

**Sakuraslayer- **Thank you for the review! And here it is~ Hope you enjoyed this chapter! But as always, feel free to tell me whatever you thought.

**Herondalefan- **Indeed~! xD Yuuta lacks screen time. And what better way than making him faint right? Hahahahha. Thank you for the review, by the way~!

**Animelover4ever69- **hahah, yeah! xD But loool. The calling happens here~ No whisking away tho. xD Thanks for the comment~!

**Blueberryxn- **Hahahah. We'll stare at him all day, and wait for him to open his eyes for effect. *cackles* And thank you for the review. xD

**CherryAmes15- **lolol. I actually wrote one myself! Sure it's in hiatus, but it was fun while it lasted. I love that show! Oh, Arthur. *hearts* And thanks for the comment~! xD

**Guest [9/28/13]- **I know right?! xD If the show didn't have so many characters to feature, he'd be shown even more. xDD Thx for the comment! ;)

**Willow- (ch22) **YAY! xDD I'm very glad that you liked it, and that you think the canon could be female as well! Hhehe. Thanks for the review, and I hope you get here!

**Percabeth Jackson-Chase- **Hahahaha. Glad I made you laugh! *cackles* Thank you for the comment! :D

**Wicken25- **Thank you for the review, and I am very happy you think it's still good so far! Hope you think so until the end. ;)

**DragonStorm12- (ch2**) lol. That's fine~! I can see you read the others when you found the time. Thank you! xD **(ch17) **hahaha. I hope you weren't late and groggy in school! *Prays* **(Ch19**) hahaha. Yep~! I love reverse harems so much. Hahahha** (ch20) **Awww~ I'm glad you thought it was a touching chapter. ;) And nope~ Kin-chan won't appear until later. ;**) (ch23) **Hahahah. Yes, yes! And I just sung that song from the Lion King. (**ch26) **lol. And the winner is…! xDD Hope you will get to read these replies eventually! Hahah and thank you for the reviews!

**Risa144- **Yay! But as you can see this is where I actually update. xD I'm so glad to see you hear! And I even get to hear from you. haha. Thanks for the comment~!

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><p>…<p>

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><p>Thanks for reading everyone!<br>Hope you enjoyed, but whatever you thought, as always, will motivate me to write more! ;)  
>So please tell me what they are. xD<p> 


	40. Dates

**As always, I would like to thank everyone who bore with me thus far—especially with all my delays. Special hugs to those who reviewed, faved, followed, C2d the story, and/or liked my authorpage. Thanks mga irog ko (**Trans: Thanks my loves)! lol

**WARNING: **Unfortunately, there is still no Pillar pair, only hints at most. I'm sooo sorry! I focused more on friendships here and dates of _other_ people. BUT I swear that I shall make up to you Pillar pair fans next chapter. :D

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XL: DATES<strong>

Reina lay in her soft bed beside Karupin in ponder. She could not shake the feeling off that she really saw Keigo at the hospital. Of course, she shouldn't be surprised considering he visit Seichi too… But if her senses were right—then he was _hiding_ from her.

Why the hell would he _hide_ from her?

She stared at her phone. He was not answering. She tried again and again. And again. But he is still not answering. Darn him.

And eventually, her eyelids got heavy. And she fell asleep, with the phone right beside her.

**…**

ATOBE RESIDENCE

Atobe Keigo stared deeply at the phone. When he had finally got the guts (No, he will not admit that he lost them) to answer it, no one was speaking. He frowned.

'_Why is no one answering Ore-sama?_'

He sighed and then he closed his eyes to listened carefully…

Light, adorable snores…

He could only smirk in amusement.

…

ECHIZEN RESIDENCE

The next day came and it was the first day of summer vacation. Ryoma, Ann, and Sakuno had agreed to meet outside her house… to avoid wasting time. A few greetings were made by Rinko and Meino, considering the two boys were still asleep after playing Final Fantasy X the whole night.

Ann winced when she heard of this. She was undergoing that awkward moment when you found out your tennis player idol became a freeloader.

In any case, the first place they went to was the bakery where Sakuno always wanted work in. Coincidentally, Ann was a regular costumer there, too, earning it points for becoming the first stop of the day.

"Ann-chan~!" A very familiar emo-guy greeted. He was dressed up in a waiter's suit, and Reina frowned. Her 'mission' (the one regarding her alliance with a certain dunker) would prove harder than she thought. She couldn't ask anything that has anything to do with Momoshiro without causing a fuss now, could she?

"Ryuzaki-san…" He greeted with a shining smile as he shifted to Sakuno, and then…

"Who might you be?"

_Silence_

Their eyes twitched. They totally forgot that Reina dressed up as a girl that day and Reina sent a little glare at Ann's direction.

"N-K-Kamio-kun… I _didn't know_ you worked here! Ha-ha. T-This is Reina-chan by the way, she's Echizen's c-cousin."

Kamio squinted his eye and Reina found an invisible sweat-drop above her head. Reflexively, she glared him off. He flinched immediately—

"Are you sure this is not _him_?" Kamio asked. After what Fuji did, he had always thought Echizen was a homosexual. So why not cross-dress? But he had to admit he's really cu—

He paled at what he _almost_ thought.

"Wh-at? They're cousins! They're _bound_ to be similar in _some _aspects." Ann said as she giggled awkwardly. She emphasized 'some' to tell Reina that she should try and act differently—otherwise they are _so_ going to get burned.

Reina sighed. She was too used to being Ryoma, and she found it almost impossible to act differently to people who hadn't known her any other way.

But it's worth a try.

For a week worth of burgers.

"Gomen. Kamio-san… I just found it extremely weird that you were rudely squinting your eyes at me like that." She said in an uncharacteristic feminine (and polite) tone that rendered the whole place silent.

'_K-KAWAI!'_

…

The streets of Tokyo was as lovely as always, Ryuzaki Sakuno mused, out-of-nowhere, with all these people—

"Ara? What are we doing outside?" Sakuno asked no one in particular as she tilted her head, when she realized she wasn't sitting inside the shop anymore. She could swear they were just inside a second ago admiring Reina's feminine side…

"I don't like it there." Reina said monotonously. "Besides, who knows how many more people we know will go there…"

"I suppose…"

Reina looked at the two of them. "You two just have double dates there sometime or something."

They blushed simultaneously, and they were about to tease Reina as well. But then she was already walking away. They were about to follow her when—

"O-Oi. _Wait_!" A shout from behind them yelled. "You're not going to eat here?" Kamio asked in a very disappointed tone of voice. Ann smiled at him sadly, feeling guilty. The boss must have thought he shooed the costumers away…

"Gomen ne, Kamio-kun. We'll just go back with more companions, okay? Reina's not feeling wel—"

_Woooshhh~_

Suddenly, a glimmering emo was kneeling beside Reina… with his eyelashes becoming especially long, too. "Are you alright, milady?"

_Twitch_

"Sh—" She was about to say 'Shoo, go away.' But that might blow her cover. Damn it all. Her companions were laughing like hell in the background was doing her no good, either.

"I'm f-fine, Kamio-kun. Please go back to work, we don't want you to get anymore trouble, right?"

"You didn't bring me any trouble at all, milady! But I w—"

"No."

"Can I please just get you num—"

"No."

"But—"

"I already have a boyfriend." She stated bluntly sucking all the blood in Kamio's face. The other two on the other hand, were squealing like fangirls.

"_Kyaaa~_ I never thought she would say that—"

"I know~!"

More veins found their way onto Reina's head. She frowned, and walked away.

"Oi, _Reina_!" The two girls yelled as they followed her steps. She was walking _really_ fast for such a small girl. They hastened their pace.

And they just ignored the stone statue that Kamio made right in the middle of the walkway.

…

That day she had been reminded a little too often why she didn't want to dress up like a girl in the first place. Too many people are staring at her than usual, she thought grimly, and so she walked a little slower so the other two could catch up with her.

"Where to, now?"

"Maybe we should just go to Kawamura-senpai's restaurant…"

"Dressed-up like this? No way."

"Oh c'mon Reina~ Chances are—"

"Let's just go to the park and just buy food from stands. Lunch time is still hours away, anyway." She cut her off. Seigaku members were regular costumers there… and she didn't know if she'd be able to stand more people bugging her.

The two just shrugged. It wasn't a bad idea, after all. And after walking around and buying ice cream, they eventually they ended up at a very familiar part of the park…

Certain flashbacks ran through her head and she blushed instantaneously.

Sakuno grinned when she saw. "Eh~ So where did you confess to Buchou?"

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"I can see it in your face Reina." She said, looking at her especially vulnerable state. Sakuno couldn't help but squeal at the sight of her turning into an adorable tomato as she recollected what happened.

"C-Che." Reina muttered. But before they could interrogate her, she decided to open a topic up.

"Ne, Ann, what is with you and Momochan-senpai lately?"

"What do you mean?" She asked coolly although the two could see clearly the little awkwardness that she wore.

"He said that he feared you may not like him anymore." She stated bluntly. She had no idea how to sugarcoat, so she was going straight to the point.

"Why would he say tha—Wait. He actually _said_ that?"

"Yep. He said you looked at him like a monster when he tried to make-out with you."

Steam came out of her ears and Sakuno blushed as well. Too blunt, Reina could be. But she already conditioned herself for this conversation, so there was no way she was going to rememb—

Images of Tezuka gently holding her cheeks and slowly pulling her to him passed by her head.

Reina shook her head, and thankfully the other two were busy with their _own_ memories to notice how she remembered hers…

"I did that?" Ann asked herself, filled with guilt. She must have hurt Momo… she was just shocked, after all. It was the first time she got kissed like that…

"I… I think I'm going to call him."

"Yeah, and maybe have a date or something…"

"But then that would leave two of us…" Sakuno added, and Reina recalled that it would be dangerous for two petite girls to be walking around just like that.

"No. It's fine. I'm just going to call him… Besides, I already planned that most of my day would be spent with you guys~ No love lives allowed okay?"

"We can't talk about them?" Sakuno muttered in disappointment. "Reina looks so cute when we d—"

"URUSAI."

"Okay, we can talk about Reina's."

"Oiiii."

"Ne, N—"

"Let's go watch a movie."

"Which one?"

"The horror one."

"No way. Everyone knows you should watch those types with your boyfriend."

Reina blinked. "Huh? Why?"

"You see…"

"Pshhh! Let Reina figure that one out by herself."

"H-Hey!"

"You two haven't been on a date out since you met, right?"

"Really?"

"Why are we talking about this again?"

"Because we're girls. Girl talks are usually about that. Besides, _you_ opened it."

"But it's for free burgers!"

"Ha-ha. I knew he bribed you."

"How long?"

"A week."

"Darnit. That means you're our third wheel for a whole week."

"Well, that's interesting. But he could just send me some take-out or something…"

"Yeah, because Buchou will be walking her home."

"Shut up Sakuno."

"He-he…"

"I think we should go to the movies now."

"Yeah, sure. But we will never stop bugging you…"

She frowned. "Bloody sadists."

And with that, the two girls smirked simultaneously. "Thanks."

…

CINEMA

They bought their popcorn and drinks and sat nonchalantly at the soft seats. As the advertisements passed by, they started whispering. "Now that I think about it, why was Kamio working? We still have classes, right?"

"He probably just wanted more time with Ann-chan."

"Ah… but that's no longer a problem since he's obviously taken by you now."

"Hell…"

They laughed, but they abruptly stopped. The movie was starting, after all. Reina narrowed her eyes at the introduction. _'Wait a minute_.'she mused in suspicion. Weren't they supposed to watch that comedy cartoon?

…

"Waaaaa~ What a lovely story~!" Sakuno exclaimed holding her hands to her chest.

"Yeah. I was crying the whole time!" Ann said wiping excess tears.

"A classic story about two star-crossed lovers being separated by circumstances but they ended up back together anyway! I will never get tired of it."

"…"

Ann gaped at Reina. "You disliked it?"

"I don't get why we watched that movie. I especially remember I wanted to watch _that_." She said bitterly pointing out to Toy Story 3. She sort of watched something similar to the movie they watched before – Ryoga and Maria. Only they haven't gotten back together just yet. She disliked it because there was nothing she could do about it.

"Reina?" They asked, and Reina looked at them. But her eyes immediately shifted at the group of boys inconspicuously getting out of the theatre and hid behind the bushes. They seemed familiar.

"Ara?" Ann whispered and Sakuno remained silent, too. "That's Ootori, Akutagawa, and Shishido-san are there… The other boys seem unfamiliar, though…"

Reina frowned. "What the hell are they doing here?"

Shishido turned around and recognized them immediately. He stood up catching the others by surprise, and they could only flinch even more at the sight of the girls. Then of a sudden, they pulled them down and forced them to hide with them.

"What are you—"

She stopped talking immediately as soon as they saw them –Hyotei Gakuen's _coach_ and a beautiful woman with reddish brown hair looking comfortable and sweet. No one talked and everyone just watched their sweetness with blunt interest.

As soon as the couple had their backs on them, Ootori immediately opened his phone to call his driver. Ryoma went to glare at the person who pulled her down to let her go. Shishido did so immediately, but then he started apologizing incoherently.

"G-Gomen." He uttered, hiding his blush. But Reina saw this and an eyebrow rose.

'_What the hell did we get ourselves into?'_

…

LIMO NO. 1

Two people in their late 20s sat side-by-side at the limousine. The beautiful woman laughed after taking a glimpse at the rear window.

"What adorable kids."

"I think it is more accurate to call them 'Pesky', yes?"

"Mou, Taro, they're just curious." She smiled. They had noticed them since they banded together, and it was slightly amusing. Slightly. To Taro.

Sakaki Taro just really wanted to have a peaceful night out with his girlfriend.

"They'll get tired, eventually."

"I hope so." He said. Maybe in the next stop.

**…**

LIMO NO.2

They were in one of the Ootori Limousines, and they all sat at a huge space in its middle. Now that they could actually calm down, their brains had finally started to work. It was the twins with different hair colors who started the conversation and they sat right beside the girls.

"Why are you following them again?"

"Actually, I s-saw them walking coincidentally and I followed them. I saw Shinjou, and we went together." A tall boy with half-bald hairstyle shifted his head in embarrassment. He was probably this Shinjou, and he looked as if he was in no mood to talk.

"And then there's us!" The twins intervened grinning slyly. "No, actually there's Buchou and Ootori-san's date first." A pause. "If you know what we mean."

Ootori and the guy beside him blushed immediately. Ann laughed. "I see what you did there. Pfft—"

The twins laughed with her. But of course, Reina being Reina, she went straight to the point.

"So you're the Buchou?" She asked looking at a good-looking young lad with orange hair right beside Ootori. "What team? And who are you people?"

"Ah. We're from Jyosei Shounan, and the woman earlier was our coach. I am Kajimoto Takahisa, the captain. These are our members Shinjou Reiji and the Tanaka twins, Youhei and Kohei."

"Oh. So the two teams are spying on their date… they must be so happy." She said with an odd mix of indifference and sarcasm, before proceeding to glare at Jirou who was rudely staring at her. "What?"

"I know you… You two seem familiar, too." He said with his hand under his chin and wearing an irritatingly inquisitive face. Reina sighed coolly, not _this_ again.

"I look like my cousin, Echizen Ryoma, you must know him."

_Silence_

Ootori was the one who broke it. "There's a limit to how similar you two can be. Are you sure you're not cross-dressing?" He said that as if it was natural. It wasn't surprising though, since he can 'relate' to Fuji and Echizen's 'relationship'.

"Don't you think so, Shishido—senpai?" He asked nonchalantly, ignoring Akutagawa. The boy did not know how to doubt people and he was just smiling like hell at his new-found friend. He blinked though at the realization that his senpai was flinching like hell.

"Shishido-senpai?" He called again, making his wince even more.

"Maybe…" He just stated.

Shishido looked down her chest and blushed. When he pulled her down, he circled his arms around her stomach. But he still felt that… bump…

She had no idea why he was looking like that and _at_ her breast but she could _smell_ it.

"Hentai."

"N-No, I'm not!" he yelled defensively catching everyone's blunt attention.

"Are you alright Shishido-san?" Kajimoto asked worriedly, while Jirou stared at his line of sight.

"Why are you staring at her breast, Shishido-senpai?"

_Silence_

"I a-am _not_!"

Akutagawa blinked at his denial. Why was he denying it anyway? "Yes, you were." He answered casually and his senpai blushed furiously. What was the big deal anyway?

"There's barely anything there…" One of the twins muttered staring at it. A sudden dark atmosphere surrounded the car making everyone experience a very terrifying type of goosebumps.

"In one second, anyone who is _still_ shamelessly staring at my chest will die in the most horrifying way possible."

"GAH!" They yelled and quickly stared somewhere else _far _from her.

It had been awkward for a while until Ootori cleared his throat. "Now that that is over… I'm still curious if you really are Echizen Ryoma cross-dressing or not. No need to be embarrassed, really."

Jirou blinked. '_If that is so then those small bumps are fake right?'_ He mused, and at the same time his hand moved on its own…

_POINK_

The next thing he knew, his left hand was already there. He didn't mean to, of course, he unconsciously placed it there to make his point….

_Twitch_

But it was soft…

_Twwwitch Twitch TWITCH_

His head mechanically turned up to her face and he paled… along with everyone.

He can only scream for his life.

"_GYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_!"

**…**

*Meanwhile on the streets of Tokyo*

"Ne,Ne… Kaa-san… why is that boy's head getting forced out of the window?" A random boy said pulling his mother's skirt gently to catch her attention. The mother did not know what he was talking about until-

"_gyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

"_AGhhshahssdh!"_

"_I am soo osodoerssoorrryyyy!"_

"_Pleaasee I wannaaaa llliiiiiivveeee e until I'm aaa- GyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAA!"_

"_GYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_!"

The mother stared passively at the odd phenomenon. She was sure the boy was screaming his lungs out as he was being pushed out of the _running_ car, but the scene looked much too much out of a movie so she just shrugged. She patted her son's head.

"I think it's better we never know, dear."

**.  
>.<strong>

**END OF CHAPTER XL**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XLI: SUN**

**BurnedSpy- **Oh no! I don't blame you, but please try not to forget about this story! And here's the update. Hope it was fine, and thanks for the comment~

**Herondalefan-** Hahah yeah. Poor Yuki. xD I'll give him more screen time a little later tho. Look forward to it! And so glad you somehow got pumped! Hehe. And thanks for the review~ ;D

**Shadowhawk- (ch38) **It's fine, my love! I'm glad I still get to hear from you anyway. And indeed~! Kuni's so gentlemanly… that and I can't quite write anything beyond that. Lol.** (ch39) **Right?! Her two best friends shall be his biggest rival! *nods* *wink* LOOOL. And, of course, Thank you for the reviews~! :D

**Animelover4ever69- ** It is! I got the hanging-up scene in the anime~! Hihihi. Thank you for the comment, btw~

**Blueberryxn**- Thanks for the review~! And I bet he won't succumb! He'll open his eyes abruptly and poof! The students faint with their nose bleeding. Hahah. And btw! 1 Month? You should seriously check on that cough!

**Kuniko no Yume-** Thank you for reviewing~ And I did that? I did?! In one chap? Banzaaai! Hahahaha. But wait! A portal to the anime world has not been invented… yet! [Insert British accent here] Shall we start? xDD

**MykaLielle- (ch6) **Congrats my 500th reviewer! :D I hope you got all the way to this chapter though! Or at least that thankyou vibes got to you. Hehe. Thx for the review, btw~ I'm blushing that you said this is one of the best you've tried.

**PurpleScorpion-** Indeed they were~! It'll come very soon tho, I'm so sorry for taking so long. xD And nooo. No dates for pillar for now. Huhuh. I hope you weren't to disappointed, and thank you for the review~** (ch1) **You did?! Thank you for keeping up with my profile~! :D And I won't go to such a hiatus again! *hugs*

**Encantada the Maiden- (ch1) **You are?! I hope you are~ And I hope even more that I got to hear from you somewhere… hahah. Thx for reviewing. ;)

**Hprareslashfan- **Indeed~! I hope so as well. It's too good a fandom to die! But nevertheless—we must keep it breathing! *brofist* And thanks for talking to me~ xD

**Hope-** Yay! You think so?! Here it is~!I hope it was enjoying enough and thank you for the review~! xD

**Fanny Taka- (ch1) **Yes! Yes you may translate it to Spanish~! I'm so happy you liked it, and I hope you continue liking it til' the end!

**Kurie-tibiti- T**hank you for commenting~! And I really did need bunnies flocking my door. Ahahaha

**Nogizaka Ayumi- (ch38) **I know, I know I'm sooo sorry! And as I said in the A/N above I will catch up on RyomaxTezuka moments next chap~ Promise! xD And thx for the review~

**MaiAkikoChan- (ch16) **Mah, it had been a long time since then so I don't blame you~! Even I forgot, and reviews from those earlier chapters make me feel very nostalgic. xD Gaah, I remember how much fun those chapters were to write! **(ch17) **lololol. They're getting craaazzyy and lool. The line on her injury was catchy? Awesome! xD And my~ It had been so many chapters since Sakuno and Oishi started dating! **(ch18)** I had to skim through this chap. So it was _that_ chapter! Ohhh the memories~ Aghhhhh xDDD Oh! And thank you for the reviews~!

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><p>…<p>

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><p>Thanks for reading folks!<br>I hope you enjoyed the filler chapters, which ends here!  
>But whatever you thoughwould want to say,  
>please send 'em to me by writing on this <em>fabulous<em> box below. xD


	41. Sun

**Thank you for waiting everyone~! **I hope you enjoy this pillar pair-filled chapter, and please do not hesitate to leave some feedback! I appreciate every one and see them all as huge motivators. :)

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

* * *

><p>...<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XLI: Sun<strong>

SEIGAKU TENNIS CLUB

It was early Monday morning and everyone could not wait to train. Especially Reina, since she knew Tezuka would finally join them that day. And yet she can feel a bad omen, which she could easily shoo away.

She stole glances of him as he gave advice to regulars and non-regulars alike, causing her a few points from Momo. Ungrateful bastard, she mused grimly. After all _that she had been through_ because of that little favour of his!

Grrrr….

No. She had to calm down._ Calm down_. She told herself she would forget what happened so Kunimitsu would have no idea someone—_GAHHHHHHH!_

"O-OI, WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT!?" Momo yelled at the extremely strong shot she had placed on his court. Eiji clapped.

"Yeiy~ O'chibi's all hyped up! My turn—Kikumaru BEAAAMM~!"

She ignored them, and just (calmly) continued her game.

**…**

Tezuka Kunimitsu was called to the faculty room right after morning practice. He didn't know what it was, but it certainly sounded urgent.

"Hai, Sensei?" He asked after sliding the door, and immediately felt a little worried at her expression. She handed over to him an envelope with German writing in it. He saw the picture and knew what it meant immediately. The coach started talking but with the state of mind he was suddenly in… he could only hear the last words.

"…are you going to take the offer?"

"Hai." He answered immediately obviously catching the coach in shock. He did, too, for he wasn't thinking. But Tezuka being Tezuka, he did not flinch a millimetre. He let his mind run several kilometres per hour and concluded that what he said was, in fact, the most reasonable answer.

At the state that he was, he might not only burden his team in the long run but worsen his arm condition as well. He would not want to see Reina making so much worried expressions again. She should be smiling at him, not thinking about _his_ welfare. His parents too, were worried if his injury would lead to even more serious damage… that it would really start to affect his other activities.

"It's going to be long…" The coach uttered sounding incredulous at his quick decision.

"I know, sensei." He said stoically, but internally he was having some sort of war. There wasn't supposed to be any problems. He should be 100% voting for this idea. So why was he so reluctant about this…?

It could only be one thing: _Reina_.

Reina was his sun. He didn't know how he'd be able to deal with an environment without _her_. How was he going to tell her this?

And just _how _is he going to be able to leave her with so many men after her?

Tezuka felt a strong headache coming. But he did not massage his head…

He clenched his chest.

**…**

It was after school when Oishi suddenly invited them all out. Fortunately, Tezuka didn't have a lot of work in the council so he finished his workload quickly. Oishi said they would meet at the central park's hob late at night, which rose innocent suspicions but they all knew everyone's going to come so none cared.

Earlier that day, they were allowed to go whenever they want to and that they did. Kawamura asked Inui, Tezuka, and Oishi to taste his sushi but Momoshiro butted in. Reina, on the other hand, said she was going to take the kids somewhere and they would just go back to the sushi house after an hour or two and Tezuka just reluctantly agreed.

Tezuka knew Reina could sense his troubles and she wanted to help him, but she also knew he did not want his teammates to see him at his weak state… and so there they were pushing themselves back. They nodded at each other slightly.

They were going to talk later.

**…**

Reina stood at the side and showed the kids where the tennis section was. Reina wanted to buy the kids their own rackets. It was about time, after all, and she bought them wholes sets. Of course, the others paid but Hona had an important exam the next day so she could not come with her. At least she knew where Kaidoh probably was…

As she waited for them to choose, her mind wandered on its own. What was that extremely dejected look on Kunimitsu's face, anyway? She frowned, she really wanted to know as soon as possible.

"Done!" Kumi exclaimed, grinning. Reina was caught by surprise, but she didn't show it. It seemed that she was in a daze the whole time they were shopping. Soon enough, the two boys followed. A minute later she realized that she still wasn't in a proper state of mind…

"Are you alright, Reina-neesama?" Kumi asked adorably as she gently pulled down her shirt to catch her and the other two's attention. Reina patted her head and smiled at them reassuringly.

"Of course I am."

**…**

Oishi could definitely sense something's bothering the captain but he couldn't quite voice it out. Him being paranoid was always a possibility… Maybe he'd leave this with Reina—

"Oishi." He finally called as soon as they were alone.

"Tezuka?"

"Can you please take Kumi and Micheal home?" He said in his characteristically monotonous voice. Oishi heard this of course, but odd enough he could also hear something else. Him saying: '_I need Reina as soon as possible.'_

He smiled in understanding. "Of course."

Tezuka nodded in apology, and bid his farewell. "Thank you."

**…**

ECHIZEN RESIDENCE

Tezuka and Reina sat at the bell hut where he and her father drank tea peacefully all that time before… She let her legs swing passively as she waited for Tezuka to speak. "Reina." He called and she nodded, waiting. But like her, Tezuka had no idea how to sugar-coat. And so, he went straight to the point.

"I was offered to go to a rehabilitation center in Germany. I will leave this weekend." He said as stared at her, alert at whatever reaction she may give. Reina did not look back. She just stared passively at the starts instead.

"That's good…" She finally said after a few moments of silence. "What did you say?"

"I agreed."

"Ehh… How long?" She said nonchalantly, still looking at the sky.

"The coach said… we will know once I get there."

"I see… then you better explore the tennis there, too." She muttered and, as if her legs had been tired of swinging, she bent her knees and let her arms rest on it.

"I plan to." He responded as coherently as he could.

"Enjoy your stay there…"

"…I will…"

"Good."

He sighed. "But you don't seem like you agree."

"Neither do you…" She spat back and looked back at the ground. "Nobody wants you gone, Mitsu."

"Not even opponent teams?"

"I can't imagine how they would."

He chuckled and placed his hand at the back of her head. She rested her chin on her legs. Tezuka sighed.

"You still have no idea how people really think do you? How odd you are Reina." He said, and she tilted her head downward… as if to hide her face—for no reason, duh.

"How rude."

He just smiled and let out a deep breath before standing up. Reina, at the time, had no strength or will power to react, so she was surprised when she found out that Tezuka had already sat behind her.

"Eh?" She voiced out, reflexively stretching her legs out slightly and turned around. But she reacted at tad too late, Tezuka had his arms wrapped tightly around her stomach and his head resting on her head. Her wide eyes immediately softened as soon as she felt his breath.

"Mitsu…" was all she could utter and she just smiled when he lifted his head and kissed the side of her face gently. She rested the back of her neck on his shoulders and touched his arms as if she hadn't touched them in years. He slightly tightened his embrace in response. Both of them had a lack of words to say, and yet both of them knew exactly what they were and what they really mean.

Eventually, Tezuka found the strength to speak, after a long time of being still. "Don't let your guard down."

"Yeah." She laughed. "I'll miss you, too."

**…**

Later that night, the team congregated at the specified place, and they (eventually) realized that none of them knew where they were going.

Well, maybe the kids do… but Oishi and Eiji was still away in an attempt to drag the boys out. Hona was there with them sitting shyly beside Kaidoh, while Kumi was talking with Kawamura and Inui. So that means the doubles pair, the boys, Echizen, and Tezuka were the latecomers.

Not too soon though, their captain and a familiar looking petite girl were holding his hand. They looked conservative and sweet at the same time. Most of them had to take several moments to actually absorb whatever blasphemy they were seeing. Only Fuji and Inui was calm—well, you know, somewhat.

Okay. Only Hona was genuinely calm.

Everyone else paled.

..**.**

Reina was actually wearing her wig off and wearing relatively neutral clothing so at the moment she was just extremely annoyed with their reaction. She didn't even notice that they had arrived until they shouted, and a huge part of her wished that they didn't pull her out…

Darn it—

Wait a minute. So they saw her looking all mushy with Tezuka?

_How embarrass—_No It wasn't. She didn't really care. They did this so that they can maximize the time they have left so to hell with foresight. She'll just have to be better at ignoring freakishly prying questions.

Thankfully, everyone was too shocked to react…

For now, anyway.

.

_((10 minutes later))_

Oishi, Micheal, Eiji, and a _very_ pissed off Ludwig arrived. Eiji of course, was as energetic as always.

"We're complete now, Yatt—Ara?" Eiji yelled before teleporting next to Reina. "Who are you?

"Why do you look like O'chibi?

"You're small, too…"

_Twitch_

"Uwaa~ You look very pretty in girls cloth—"

"A-Ara? Why are you holding Buchou's ha—"

And eventually, after a moment of silence and everyone pretty much staring at him like he just agitated a lion (which he did), Eiji finally absorbed the situation and his eyes widened immediately.

"_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHH?!"_

**….**

After a very tedious walk – because of all the bloody questions – they had finally arrived at the top.

Well, no, apparently not... they only arrived at a misleadingly flat area. They still had a few kilometers left. And so, unfortunately, the questions continued.

"How long?!" Momo asked in skepticism making Reina want to punch him.

"I thought you were with Fuji…" Kawamura whispered noticing a little too late that he asked that out loud. He blushed. Fuji took it like a man though. Sort of. The resident sadist smiled. "Yeah, I thought so too…"

"FUJI!"

"Fuji-senpai!"

"Ii. Data."

Reina just held Tezuka's hand tighter and he smiled encouragingly at her. This was going to be a _long_ trip… But at least they were together.

"Saa… They're probably thinking of something cheesy like 'at least we're together' or something…"

_Silence_

"Che." Reina muttered, breaking the awkward silence. For an instant there, everyone feared for Fuji's life.

"You'll find a girl for you someday, Fuji." Tezuka replied, wearing an unfathomable expression. But coming from him, it should really sound encouraging… And for a moment it _did_. If only Fuji didn't know better….

An instantaneous dark aura surrounded Fuji, but it immediately disappeared. He just smiled at Tezuka, creeping everybody out.

"I sure do hope so, Buchou."

And not too long after that uncomfortable scene, they finally reached the top. The clouds initially looked like they had no plans on leaving, but then they eventually did… revealing an incredibly beautiful view of their city.

They all admired it and, for some reason, or perhaps by some superstition, some even made wishes. Oishi, with eyes gleaming with fire, smiled brightly at the new-born sun. "Aim for the nationals!" He yelled from the top of his lungs, and everyone grinned in response.

"**YEAH!"**

**…**

_The sun: the symbol for rebirth, power, and destruction—and Life _itself_. _

The team let themselves indulge in its warm light for a while, and the couple soon found themselves at the back of the group. Reina strengthened her hold to catch his attention. He looked at him and tilted her head towards the team as if to say, _'Don't you think it's about to tell them?' _

However, he shook his head in response. He was not ready yet – for the next time he was going to state his leave, he was doing so as their _captain_… definitely not as her lover. The way he was now, he feared he would not be as coherent as he could. He could not leave his team like that…

Fuji on the other hand, had been staring at them the whole time. They were too busy in their own world to notice his eyes. Don't get him wrong – he could see that they were happy, and he was happy for them… but looking at Tezuka and how he reacted to him earlier…

He was certain _he _was planning something selfish. But he could only sigh at the mystery of it all..., and he could only hope he wouldn't be too... hurt (perhaps?) with whatever the Captain's request would be.

**…**

SEIGAKU MIDDLE SCHOOL

The next day, she felt groggy. What would you expect? They didn't sleep… It seemed that Oishi asked the Coach to cancel practice that morning so she guessed it was fine. It was an impractical idea, especially for Oishi, but in the end it was definitely worth it. So Reina slept rather peacefully on the tutor room's couch… using Kuroro's lap as pillow. And the said girl only looked down at her with a mix of worry. Should she be sleeping anywhere?

"Ano…"

Oishi, who was also in the room, smiled apologetically at Hona, before looking at the slumbering Ryoma. "I'm sorry about this."

She shook her head immediately and smiled. "It's fine Oishi-senpai. I know all of us had fun."

He nodded and looked at the glass of the door separating them from their students. "I guess I was too eager to see everyone having fun together again…"He said before letting out a deep breath. Hona tilted her head at the sudden change in expression in the fukubuchou's face.

"I just can't shake the feeling off that I had to."

**…**

Later that day lunch time, after some torturous hours of looking at the clock, finally arrived. However the bell had just rang, so it was still too early for everyone to be in their respective lunch time positions. Most of them were still in the line for their food. There were only two people in the rooftop at that time of day, and the atmosphere was certainly not light as that of the cafeteria's.

Fuji Syusuke was literally staring at Tezuka befuddled by what he had just said. He thought he was hearing things and he was surprised—No, scratch that. He had been expecting something like this. "Pardon?" was all he could utter to their captain. They were alone in the rooftop at the moment, but not for long… so Tezuka was even more to-the-point than usual. _Heh_, he mused, who would have thought that it was possible...?

The captain just basically said to him—a friend, a teammate, and a rival—that he was going to Germany to get his arms healed. And as if that wasn't shocking enough, he had just asked him to take care of Reina.

If only the last sentence sounded a little differently maybe he wouldn't be so irritated.

"Like I said, I want you to take care of Reina."

"In the sense that I can ha—"

"No. In a sense that you will guard her from other perspective men."

"You talk as if I'm not one of them." Fuji added, but he ended up frowning further. "Are you _that_ certain she won't fall for me?"

"I trust her. And I trust you. But there are a lot of men that are interested about her, that I definitely feel otherwise."

Fuji scoffed. "Saa… you are much more selfish than I could've imagined, Tezuka."

"…I am. And I apologize."

Fuji didn't say anything and just turned around. But then he started wondering, just what _did_ he mean that he felt 'otherwise'? Did he mean in the sense that he did not trust _them_ but he trusted _him_, or did he mean that Reina may fall for... some_ other_ man?

He gestured to ask when they were interrupted. "Tezu—"

"Hoi! Hoi! Buchou and Fujiko are already here~"

"What about Oishi and the others?"

And not a moment too soon, Oishi, Kumi, and the two other boys had arrived. "Nya? Where's Echizen and Kuroro?"

"She asked us to go ahead, since Reina is a heavy sleeper." He smiled. "They'll come by soon...

"Probably."

_((10 minutes later))_

"Mouuu! Why are they taking so long?!"

"I'll go to them." Tezuka said, not surprising anyone. "I'll go with you." Fuji offered, and Tezuka could only nod. How could he refuse when just he asked him such a big favour? But when they arrived, they were in for a surprise.

Reina was evidently having a nightmare. Kuroro could not move, and neither could Tezuka. Reina looked terrified, and she was stirring vehemently. Fuji immediately ran to her to lift her up, and she unconsciously hugged him tightly making his heart skip a beat. As usual.

Her embrace got tighter and tighter, and he could barely breathe. He held her closer as well by instinct. But—

"Mitsu…"

Fuji's eyes widened, and it revealed pain-stricken eyes. Tezuka looked at him emphatically, and all he could do was gently tap her back in an attempt to wake her up. "Reina…" the buchou called gently, and her hold of Fuji tightened even more. Fuji laughed sardonically at who knew who.

"Well… this is very painful, on so many levels."

"I'm sorry…" Tezuka said, and Kuroro could only assume what was happening to the three of them. Fuji, on the other hand, closed his eyes and smiled calmly, returning to his usual façade. He lifted one of his hands and placed it on the back of her head… and tightened _his_ hold of Reina.

Tezuka flinched.

"Saaa…. You said I can take care of her, Tezuka. What do you really mean?"

"…" Tezuki remained unflinching while Kuroro paled.

"I'll…I'll excuse myself senpais." Kuroro said, for the sake of her life, and left. Tezuka, on the other hand, let out a deep breath after hearing the door close behind him. "You're making this harder for me, Fuji."

Fuji sighed. "I know. I guess I'm still a little shocked of what you asked of me. It's not like you don't deserve it, anyway."

"Fuji…"

"You didn't have to ask that of me, Tezuka, I would have done so anyway."

Tezuka nodded slowly and gave out a small smile. "Thank you."

There was silence for a second afterwards, before Fuji let out a deep breath. "Just don't blame me if she falls for somebody else…"

"She won't." Tezuka answered immediately, to the point that Fuji could sense… doubt?

"You sure are confident, Tezuka." He just said. It must have been his imagination or something… right?

"I am." He said firmly. "But for now, Fuji...

"Please let go of my girlfriend."

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><p><span>TOKYO SUPERMART<span>

Meanwhile, oblivious to the tension in her daughter's school, Echizen Rinko hummed as she pushed her cart across the Supermarket. She was going to buy ingredients for one of her daughter's favourite dishes—Takoyaki. She knew that she was especially depressed given Tezuka's news and she was determined to make her little girl feel better. And what better way than her favourite Japanese dish?

She nonchalantly bought all the ingredients, but when she had finally got the last and most important ingredient – that was to say, the octopus – she encountered a problem.

She already had a hold of it, and she was _absolutely certain_ that she had gotten a hold of it _first_…

If only there wasn't another hand pulling it in the other direction.

She glared at the other woman, but she maintained her cool façade despite all the veins that had been popping on her head. "Hi, miss, I'm sorry to be rude… but I got here first."

"No. I distinctly remember my hands getting a hold of it prior to yours."

"Do you have any proof of that statement?"

"Do _you_ have any proof of that statement?"

'_Grrrrrrr'_ they muttered mentally at the same time. _'I NEED TO MAKE MY CHILD FEEL BETTER!'_

_Silence_

And they looked at each other, as if sensing each other's maternal thoughts. "My daughter's boyfriend is leaving, and she feels bumped." Rinko explained as calmly as she could. "I need to make her her favourite food."

"Well, _my_ son is leaving… and he's disheartened that he was going to leave his beautiful girlfriend here in Japan… with wolves after her…"

"…"

"…"

They smirked simultaneously. "Small world." Ayana said and extended her hand, while Rinko laughed, taking it.

"Indeed."

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XLI**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XLII: **Because People Pry****

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO REVIEWS<strong>

**Hprareslashfan- **I have returned~! Hehe. And yeah! Let us pray together for the Prince of Tennis's livening once more~! xD And thanks for commenting. ;)

**MaiAkikoChan- (Ch19)** OMG YES. Tsundere ATobe was soo fun to write. xD And ehehehe~ The sadistic mothers! Lol. I remember writing them. Such sadistic fun. Lolol. **(ch20) **lol. I remember when OishixSakuno pair was just a random thought. Glad you likedit! And yes! Poor dense 12-year old Reina. (why do they have to be in Junior high darnit lol)

**(ch27) **Yep~ hahah. And lol at those 21-26 chapter reviews~! Most of the scenes here are based on the canon events. And how can I not include Horio-as-Ryoma scenes?! *cackles like a retard* And lol that Yuuta chap! Gosh I feel guilty and happy making him go through all those stuff. Fun time writing those tho. And yes! I did get Kuroro from HxH, because I was thinking of the guy when I was writing the chap she appeared in. xD And yeah! Inui *wink* but I won't push his feelings tho. I just had a knack for harems those times. Hhahaha. And awww~ Those Atobe scenes! I'll give him a little bit of happiness soon.

**(ch28)** lololol. Fuji'sasadist! Even with his own poor bro. _Poor bro._ lol. Even Ayana's being blunt. Hahaha. And yes! Monkey King will be very humiliated. Hahaha. (**ch29) **Actually he does~! When I first saw Aomine, I remembered Gin! Haha. And the pictures are from Ryoga~ I gave out very subtle hints then and again... some I think only I see. xD Thanks for the reviews, btw~

**Frostfire613-** AHAHAH! Yes, yes he will~!XDD (Still thinking if Tezuka will ever find out tho… and how. Loool) And thank you for commenting~! :D

**Kuniko no Yume**- YES~! YES I DO know you love Hyotei. xD And I'm so glad you liked their feature chappy~ And lol yeah! I love those two senseis. They soo need more screen time. Ahhaha. And thank you for the review~!

**Vangran-** Yes indeed~! It's like asking a woman if she's pregnant; only worse. Lol. And thanks for commenting~

**BurnedSpy- **Ah~! A friend wrote one! You should search 'Sakuno's collection of fem!Stories' xD She's paired with Atobe. ;D

**PurpleScorpion- **Yay~! Hahah. Glad you still liked it, esp. with the screentime for the other teams. And loool. Jirou… may you rest in peace. xD Oh, oh! This chappy will be full of pillar pair! Hope you like it and thank you for the review~! :D

**Kazumi Rin-** Thank you for the review! And yep she is~! But I guess I changed her if she's friends with someone like Ryoma. She had potential to be feisty, as I saw after all. ;)

**Guest [12/20/13] **– Rikkai eh? I'm following the canon so they won't be appearing in this chapter or the next at least. Hope it's fine, and thanks for the review~ :D

**Shadowhawk-** lololol. Yes Kuni's so sly. Hhihihi. And I am so glad you liked this chapter~! Here's the next one, with lotsa pillar pair, and belated Happy Holidays to you and your family as well. xD And thank you for reviewing~

**Nogizaka Ayumi-** Hahahah. Glad you liked it~! And lool. Ryoma's sadistic tendencies emerges! Belated happy holidays and thanks for the review~

**Randomness Is Awesome- **Thank you for the review~! I'm happy you still like the story, and I'll do my best to keep it up~

**Dreamer852-** Hahah. Glad I made you laugh somehow and thank you for the review~! Best of luck to you, as well. ;)

**Guest [1/14/14] - **Thank you for reviewing~! haha. I'm so happy to know you like my stories, even my initial D fic! xD And what can I call you, btw, or do you prefer 'Guest'?

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><p>…<p>

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><p>Thank you for reading~!<p>

And do leave some feedback~!  
>It's one of the best rewards for my hard work.<p> 


	42. Because People Pry

**So sorry I took so long! I do write whenever I can, but I have so many stories to update! Lol. But on the bright side reviews on any of my stories tend to inspire me to write on whatever I was working on so this actually came out sooner than I thought it would. xD **

**WARNING: **This chapter is a lot less eventful than the last one, but I hope you enjoy this anyway,_and please don't hesitate to leave some feedback for me~! xD _

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>...<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XLII: Because People Pry<strong>

Echizen Reina woke up with an odd sense of comfort and warmth. A sensation she just knew with her half-asleep mind that she had experienced before. She lazily opened her eyes and saw Tezuka, smiling at her fondly.

"Good morning."

She blinked.

Reina jolted up—then completely awake and saw that they were in the couch she fell asleep at… and she was sitting on Tezuka's lap… again. Her eyes scanned her situation and they widened immediately afterwards, a feeling of dread overpowering the embarrassment.

His left arm was supporting her weight, wasn't it?

She immediately went to the empty side of the couch, sat in Saizen, and apologized.

Tezuka, on the other side, just laughed. Talk about De ja vu. But this time he need not hold back. He could now hold his hand out and touch her cheeks so naturally. He immediately asked what had been bothering him since he had seen her earlier.

"What did you dream about, Reina?"

She blushed. "I don't remember much…" she said and she wasn't lying. _'Just please tell me I did not sleep talk.'_

"You talked in your sleep… and you looked terrified."

"A-ah." She did? _Great_.

"So what was it about?"

She sighed and held his warm hand. She pushed the embarrassment away, and decided to tell him. "All I remember was… I'll probably miss you more than I thought."

Tezuka looked at her. But to her surprise, it wasn't just fondness… but also anxiety.

Why would she have such a terrifying _nightmare_ if it was just a simple dream?

"Mitsu?"

"You know that all dreams say something about our minds, right?"

"Yes… but I doubt it's anything worth that anxious face of yours, Mitsu."

"Let's just hope so—" He was cut by Reina placing her lips on his to shut him up. It was short but not any less shocking. She puffed her cheeks and stared at him disapprovingly.

"I don't like that face your making, Mitsu. It's… troubling." She said firmly, but Tezuka could hear it stuttering. An arrow of guilt suddenly hit him. He was not sure what he had expressed, but he was certain he would hate seeing it himself.

"I'm sorry. What did I show?"

Reina looked at his eyes for a moment as if to ponder whether or not to tell him… or maybe even _how_. In the end, she just uttered one word:

"Doubt."

He didn't answer, and she frowned before gesturing to stand up. But when she saw his eyes widen, she immediately halted her movements and waited patiently for whatever he was going to say.

Nothing.

She let out a sigh of exasperation, and turned around. And as if on cue, the door opened revealing her co-teachers and the children."Ehh… Guess who finally woke up?" Ludwig muttered coolly looking at the two alternatively. He's thinking of something like 'Old people and their cheesiness.'

"You just missed Lunch?"

She blinked. "What?"

"Don't worry, you two can have lunch together then." Hona, oh-so-helpfully, added.

"But Buchou has classes." She responded quickly. _Too_ quickly, for Tezuka's liking. He knew that she would not want to talk to him for a while and think of a good response, but they simply didn't have all that time anymore.

"As the Student Council President, Reina, I have the same benefits as you. I can skip classes so long as long as I retain my grades."

"Oh."

He mentally sighed and stood up. "Shall we?"

She looked away, reluctant, but agreed anyway. "I-I guess."

**…**

ROOFTOP

They sat relatively near each other at a far corner of the rooftop. They succumbed to the wind for a while. It was very strong—to the point that Reina's wig was almost blown off. She heard Tezuka's quiet laugh from her side and she watched him arrange her wig for her.

She felt slightly shy, happy, and irritated at the same time. "Don't think I have forgiven you."

"I know." He answered sternly, not letting go of her hair. "I'm sorry I doubted you." There was silence until he finished fixing her wig. "But I'm human, too. I can feel… insecure, as well, Reina."

She reflexively batted an eyelid at that. Why would _he_ feel insecure? What was he thinking? Or worse—_did she_ do_ something_?!

But all those questions when he abruptly moved his hand on to her neck and kissed her. It was a sweet and chaste kiss, like his usual, but this one felt a little more urgent. His other arm caressed her cheeks and her arms embraced him. When they had separated after what felt like a century later, Tezuka apologized, despite his breathlessness.

"I'm sorry I even made _you_ doubt yourself."

"Hmn." She smiled weakly and was about to kiss him again when—_Grroowwllll_

Darn her humiliating stomach, she mused grimly, while Tezuka chuckled that soundless chuckle of his. "Open your bento, Reina." He stated, without opening his. Reina raised an eyebrow at the suspiciousness of it all but shrugged. She was really hungry, after all, and she quickly opened her lunch box.

She frowned. And then looked at Tezuka and that knowing expression of his.

Her Bento had no food in it. It just a little piece of paper. She opened it ignoring Tezuka for a moment, and read the letter.

_Reina!_

_Just eat Tezu-kun's cooking, yes?_

_Love,  
>Your wonderful mother<em>

She batted an eyelid and tilted her head again to Tezuka. He was holding a rather large box and he opened it nonchalantly. It revealed a really amazing array of delicious looking food.

"You asked me to cook for you, remember?"

She chuckled, and he smiled. "You can be a housewife."

"I suppose I can take that as a compliment."

**…**

_*Meanwhile*_

On a random café somewhere in Tokyo, two caring mothers were ordering nice little cakes and teas to enjoy as they chatted and gossiped about their own children. "I can't believe I have never met you before." Ayana said as she chuckled. They were having quite a great time as friends.

"Yeah. That's just how shy our children are."

"Stoic and quite monotonous, too."

"Except when they're with each other." Rinko added. "And it's a reason why they never really dated in public—"

"Oh!" Ayana exclaimed a little loudly and covered her mouth in embarrassment, silently apologizing for cutting her off. Rinko had a hunch that Kunimitsu's father was like him, and could only imagine in amusement how Ayana ended up together with the man.

Rinko's smile turned into a grin when Ayana calmed down and her faltered demeanour was replaced by a suspiciously twinkling expression.

"I have an idea."

**…**

Ryoma ignored the cringe that attacked her spine right then, attributing it to the gust of wind that must have passed them. It was such a nice day after all, with Tezuka cooking for her and them spending time for most of the class hours, to ruin with some paranoid suspicions about people prying about her somewhere in the city.

The hours passed by too quickly, but she remembered the details, and the distinct feeling of not wanting it to end. However, when the after class practice came, the day's mood was changed as she realized it was time that he decided to finally make his announcement to the team.

"In order to heal my arm, I would have to go to Germany for an indefinite amount of time." He said and she flinched again, as if she didn't know of the news. She frowned at her own reaction.

Darn it. Why did she _still_ feel surprised?! She could only imagine how she would have reacted if she just heard of this. She just closed her eyes to calm herself. She could feel the tension in the air, and the shock, and maybe even the despair.

She could feel Buchou acting all stoic again. He prepared for this after all… it was the reason he didn't tell them as soon as he got the news. In any case, she didn't think she would hear it again and again and again until the following day… and _still_ feel freaking affected.

"Oi, Echizen! Have you heard?!"

"Echizen! How will be our team now?"

"Echizen, Did you k—"

"Oi, Echizen where are you going?"

_Leave me alone. _"Toilet."

"What for?"

She rolled her eyes in sarcasm. "To sleep."

"Oh…" Eiji nodded in understanding; everyone else just sighed.

**…**

TUTOR ROOM

Ryoma was in a grim mood, as was everybody. The day went on, yes, but there was barely any energy. After passively teaching the children several subjects for the day, it was finally time to separate. The children immediately went to the courts with Oishi, while Kuroro stayed behind with her.

"Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"…"

Ryoma sighed under his empathic stare. "I just want everyone to stop talking about it now…"

"But he _is_ the captain and our main key to winning the Nationals." Hona said calmly and held her hand. Ryoma then instantaneously recalled all those questions… that basically say one thing: "What's going to happen to our team?"

That's right. Tezuka was their captain, and she couldn't go and mope around just because her boyfriend's leaving for a far away land for an indefinite amount of time. He was _their_ captain, and…

"_Be Seigaku's Pillar of Support."_

She scoffed. _Yeah, right_. As if she could serve as a support to anyone who was ranting about the leaving of her predecessor. Yes, she was ranting but nobody could see anyway. All they knew was that she was glaring at thin air.

"Are you alright, Reina-chan?" Hona asked as if she was worried about the wall she was staring at.

"Yep."

In any case, she was still in a very foul mood, and she had to try her best to shoo it away considering it would only get Tezuka worried. The practice went on as usual, albeit everyone had the same anxious and sad look all over their faces. But then, the Captain made an entrance holding his racket and suddenly asked Fuji to play with him. He used his right hand, so everyone thought it should be fine.

Reina, on the other hand, watched the game comprehendingly with a mix of emotions. _'What is he planning?'_ She asked herself as she watched him warm up… and her eyes widened slightly.

Tezuka was the captain of the Seigaku tennis club, and despite being unable to say that out loud everyone knew how much he cared for it. He cared for it to the point that he intended to push his own girl friend to the limit for the sake of it.

So when he finally challenged _her_ to a match… she was not surprised.

He used his right hand and at first it seemed that it was going to be an easy win and all – considering she won the 1st set easily. But then he started to do the Right-handed Tezuka Zone and eventually perfecting it.

He evolved at an amazing rate, and it was so obvious that he was waiting for _her _to evolve herself. Indeed, last time they had a heated match she had grown significantly.

She smirked.

'_Just wait and see, Buchou. Wait and see.'_

**…**

Kawamura and the others stared at the battle in awe. Most of this awe, though, was directed at their captain for evolving like that in such a short time. They were getting intrigued by how Echizen was going to deal with his growth, but there was also something else that he had been thinking…

"Hmm… Not quite the type of match you'd expect from lovers." He whispered making sure only the nearest regulars could hear. It was true, after all, it was an incredibly powerful and heated match.

"What are you talking about? It's a match full of love." Inui responded making them gag.

"Saa… it is, isn't it? I'm kind of jealous."

Momo slightly rolled his eyes, and whispered to himself "Pfft—Kind of…"

Unfortunately, Eiji and Ryoma were not the only ones with sharp hearing. Momoshiro quickly found himself under Fuji's very very intimidating stare. "Is there anything you want to add?"

Momo gulped.

"N-No."

Fuji smiled sadistically. "That's what I thought."

**…**

There was no use. All of her shots get sucked into that one spot. She knew he was doing this because of the team. He wanted her to improve especially since *cough* he wanted her to be the next captain. He also told her once before that she was a good motivator for the team. Her improvements will make them want to get stronger the most, probably because she went against all stereotypes.

But now that she had been starting to get used to the new pace, she can't help but feel that there was also something else that had added to that motive. It's so inconspicuous that maybe Tezuka himself didn't notice. In the end, Ryoma just shrugged. She needed to focus on this game more. She'll deal with this later.

She watched his movements even further, and soon she hit a shot that she 'winged'. With her eyesight, she saw a slight disruption in the zone's flow. She grinned at the opportunity. She finally got it – how the zone _really _worked. And how to beat it.

Tezuka saw it in her eyes and she could swear that for a moment, he grinned too… as if he was saying:

'_Come!'_

...

Both of them gave it their all – and maybe even more. Not only did they want to motivate everyone in a way they never had before, it was also the last game they were going to play for a while. It was an amazing game, and applause was heard all around the courts. They didn't shake hands though, and he continued challenging her.

"Next time we have a match, be strong enough to beat me." He said with his baritone voice and, with her trademark arrogant smirk, she confidently tilted her head to his level.

"Of course."

**…**

The next few days passed by a little too quickly for their liking. One day it was Tuesday, and then its Friday the next. Only one day to go before Tezuka left, and Reina just _wished_ time would stop. But it didn't and the end of classes came too soon.

But for some reason, though, there was no after class practice that day. It was impractical since they've been cancelling more than necessary already, but everyone knew it's because Tezuka would be leaving the next day.

The team decided to see their Captain off and just had a short snack at Kawamura's since they all had to go their separate ways by late noon. It seemed that Ayana wanted her son homebefore dark…

In any case, they enjoyed their last night as a completed team for a while to the fullest. "For the Buchou's quick recovery, KANPAI!"

"KANPAI!"

And then there were spills. "Not _again_ AHO!"

"What?! You being the kanpai-police again mamushi?!"

"So what if I am?!"

"Welll, you already have a girlfriend now so I would assume you will act _less_ like a menopausal old woman!"

"Teme—" Kaidoh halted when he felt a strong glare from behind him. He awkwardly tilted his head and saw the coach.

"What is wrong with menopausal old women anyway, Hm?"

"N-Nothing!"

But they found their butts outside for 10 whole minutes anyway.

**…**

They had their small party for about a few hours. And it passed by much too quickly.

A lot of very reserved, yet emotion-filled goodbyes were given… but everyone was really eager to see their princess' and the Buchou's interaction… so the pesky regulars followed the couple all the way back to the temple and hid suspiciously behind the wall in anticipation.

Some of them brought cameras, of course.

They gulped in the adrenaline from the mix of nervousness and excitement as they watched the two stare into each other's eyes for a while. They forgot that Ludwig was there with the two, standing nonchalantly as if too used to the scene already. If the boy yawned openly, he probably would've done so by then.

"Take care, Buchou." Ryoma said stoically, before slightly turning away. Ludwig bowed and then gave Ryoma a knowing look.

Tezuka, on the other hand, remained stoic and made a simple nod. "Aa."

_THUMP!_

The regular's faces were already in the floor. Obviously expecting something (a lot) more fluffy.

Ryoma, aware of their presences, shook her head in disapproval, before turning and grabbing Ludwig on his shoulders to lead him to the stairs. And yet behind the exasperated façade, she was smirking at her precious friends' antics.

'_Mada Mada Dane.'_

…

**END OF CHAPTER XLII:**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XLIII: Dinner**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Kuniko no Yume- **Ahahaha there was backgroundmusic in your head while reading? That's so cool! And yay! Glad you liked how the nosy mothers met. I'm gonna have fun writing them I know it, and yeah let us hug Fuji together! xD Thank you for reviewing and so glad you still love the story so far. xD

**BurnedSpy-** Here it is! I did it asap but yeah… I know it's not soon enough. Hope it was worth the wait thi, and thx for reviewing~

**PurpleScorpion-** Yay! Glad I managed to er…satisfy. Hahaha. And I'll see what I can do with the Germany thing, I haven't pictured everything yet. xD And YEARS?! In retrospect the story was years old! Oh my… xD Anyway, thank you for reviewing and hope you had a good night sleep~ (and again, wish you the best on your boards)

**Angelrider13-** ahahaha, indeed~! I hope I get to write those mothers-embarrassing-their-children scenes nicely xD And thank you for the review! :D

**Kurie-tibiti- **Thank you for the review~! Glad you liked the ending, esp. when I enjoyed writing it so much. And here's the update~! Hope it was worth the wait.

**Animelover4ever69- **Funny you say dark clouds. I was just watching this series ('Once Upon A Time') full of those. Hahaha. Oh, and thanks for commenting!

**Guest [Jan 15 2014]-** Thank you for reviewing! So relieved to know you find this good so far and here's the update! Hope you like it.

**Randomness Is Awesome- **Thank you for reviewing and letting me know you're still up-to-date with this! So sorry I take forever to update *sobs* but I hope you enjoy the chap regardless. :D

**Shadowhawk-** Yea! Mothers are super awesome. xD And yeah you caught him! Tezuka's making sure Reina's er… protected. LOL. Anyway, thank you very much for the review and I hope you enjoy this chapter, albeit it isn't as eventful as the previous one.

**CherryAmes15- **ahahaha. So glad you liked it then! And IKR, I love it too when Tezuka says his catch phrase, especially when it implies something else. xD Thanks for the review, btw~

**Rfijblue- **Indeed~! Out of curiosity, how long have you been waiting? Ahahha. And thank you for commenting my dear~! :D

**Nogizaka Ayumi-** I'll do a family meeting eventually. Not yet though, the fathers on Tezuka's side are, well, a little difficult at the moment. xD Thanks for the review btw~

**Guest [Jan 23 2013] – (ch1)** lol. Well not all males\pompous. xD I hope you read this and thanks for the comment!

**Duchessme- **Thank you for the comment! And yes, I suppose, the events will be nice for the pillar pair. xD

**GreenDrkness-** Oh lol. That will be a secret for now, even for this chapter. I still hope you like this relatively uneventful chap regardless! And thx for the review.

**Q3Apo- **Thank you for the review! Glad you think it's a great fic so far and I shall do my best to keep at it. xD

**Jgood27-** I'm am so glad you love this story! Here's the chapter! I hope you enjoy even if not as much happened here. And thanks for the review.

**Me- (ch10)** Glad you liked the story! Hope you get this far. xD And thank you for reviewing. :D

**Alex2009- **I'm glad you find the story interesting so far (I shall try to maintain that xD) But nope, the character list doesn't automatically imply pairing. The brackets does. xD And thx for commenting!

**KyounKyon- **Aww so nice to know you still really like my fic! I hope you still do even after this relatively uneventful chap, and yes! I shall keep writing. xD And thank you for reviewing.

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><p>…<p>

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><p><strong>Thanks for reaaaaading!<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed, but whatever your opinions are (or if you wanna say anything to me)  
>Please write on this fabulous box below. xD<strong>


	43. Dinner

**THANK YOU FOR STAYING WITH ME~! Hope you enjoy this chapter and as always- pls do not hesitate to leave some feedback. ;) **

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p><strong>…<strong>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XLIII: Dinner<strong>

TEZUKA RESIDENCE

Ayana waited patiently for his son at the door and almost squealed when he finally entered. Kunimitsu obviously had no idea what the big deal was and was definitely emitting a befuddled aura when she pulled him to their walk-in closet with a few unfamiliar things prepared.

She held up two tuxedos – one white and one grayish brown.

"Which one would do you like better?"

"W—" He was not even able to utter one syllable before his mother's squeal cut him off.

"Kya~ I really do like the gray one. Don't you think it suits you better?"

"I don—"

She smiled (completely ignoring his pleas) and him a box. "Here."

"What—"

"They're contact lenses."

"What are you—"

"Here are you shoes, and other things you will need. You can just borrow neckties from your father."

"_Mother_." He said firmly, evidently just pushing his irritation aside for a moment. "What is this?"

"You're going to a nice 5-star restaurant tonight." She stated as a matter-of-factly, looking at the tuxedos instead of him. Tezuka raised an eyebrow. He had never been to one, and didn't think he would ever have to. Especially _not_ dressed like _that_.

"I refuse."

"Why?"

"I just don't see why I would have to."

She grinned sheepishly, placing a sweat-drop on his head. "Even if I say it is a formal date with Reina?"

_Silence_

And it would remain that way until he was ready to go out.

**…**

Meanwhile, in her own house, Echizen Reina glared at the dress. It wasn't too revealing and it was still conservative by today's standards, but she still didn't get why she had to wear that. She would be siding with her father and brother in this one.

"IEEEE! NO WAAAYYY!" That was her dad. "WHY THE HECK DID YOU CHOOSE THAT?!"

"CHOOSE ANOTHER DRESS!" That was Ryoga.

The men shouted, and she nodded fiercely in support. "Why _do_ I have to wear that in the first place?"

"We arranged your formal date with Tezuka-kun tonight."

She blinked, and her defensive posture relaxed immediately. "Oh."

"NOOOOO! Don't agree with her damnit!"

"You're too young!"

Rinko let out a deep breath and shook her head. "How many times have we been here?"

Reina shrugged, while the other two continued pouting, and Meino and Rinko glared. Those two had already approved of Tezuka ages ago. They have even seen them hugging a few times before. Sometimes, the girls just thought that those two were acting like that because they thought it was fun.

"Besides it's just a sleeveless dress. It's not like she's wearing a plunging neckline or anything! The length is below the knee, too." Rinko explained. It was true, the boys were over-reacting.

"But that would mean Ochibi would act all girl-wirly and all lady-like!" Nanjiroh yelled, and Rinko gritted her teeth.

"You make it sound like a bad thing!"

"Well it _is_! The next thing we know she'll be married!"

Reina's eye twitched. "OI!"

"Yeah, Oyaji's right!"

"I don't hear you complaining when Maria's acting all feminine."

.

"Kaa-san is so evil..." Reina muttered looking at his brother then-crouching on the corner of the wall, surrounded by a very visible aura of depression.

"I am, aren't I?" She smirked, and stared at Ryoga. "Now go get ready since you'll be their driver."

The already-depressed man paled. "EHHHH!?"

**…**

They sat on Rinko's vanity to do Reina's hair. She didn't wear any make-up, because her mother knew it would only be a hassle. Her daughter's pretty enough already, anyway. They curled her hair and she looked even more breathtaking than usual.

"Are you serious about this mother?" Reina asked suspiciously knowing how bored her mother can get.

"Of course I am. Don't you want to spend more time with Tezuka-kun?"

"O-Of course I do. Just n-not like this."

"Well, _he_ probably agreed without question."

"How do you know?"

"Why don't you?"

She blushed. "Because—"

"Anyway, stop nagging and just watch us do the work. Not that it's a lot considering how adorable you are."

"Mother—"

"Oh, _hush_!"

Reina flinched. But in the end, she could only pout in defeat. "C-Che."

**…**

Tezuka Kunimitsu sighed, probably for the 16th time that minute.

He felt unusual, in all honestly, he had never worn such clothes. He had never worn contact lenses. And he had never worn wax… especially with his hair combed back. He had never lost his bangs before—they had served as somewhat of additional shields for him. In any case, he was feeling very uncomfortable. And his own mother was definitely making it worse.

_Click_

"Mother, please."

_Click! Click!_

"St—"

_Click! Click! FLASH!_

He sighed in exasperation. "_Mother._"

"Oh, hush Kunimitsu. These are good pictures. Besides, Reina's going to love seei—Kyaaa~!" She squealed when she had just gotten the best photo ever: Her precious usually-unemotional son all dressed up and _blushing_.

Kunimitsu cleared his throat and pushed down his blush, rather quickly, (a skill he had developed quite well these past few months), and took the camera away from his mother and gently placed it at the nearest table. But before he could say anything serious to his mother, the doorbell rang.

"Oh. There they are!" Ayana grinned and gave him a quick peck—pushing him to the door in the process. "Enjoy~!"

**…**

Reina went down the car to press the doorbell. Chauffeur-Ryoga actually volunteered but she refused. Despite the fact that he was actually against the date he actually played his role (driver) quite well.

She regretted doing that a little bit, though, because then she realized she was exposed to the surprise she would feel when she saw Tezuka… looking all… different.

He had always been handsome, especially to Reina. But now he was just breath-taking. She was thankful she looked stoic… Well, no. Actually she was pretty sure she looked dumbstruck.

"Hello, Reina." He smiled with that wonderfully low voice of his. He looked just as surprised as she was.

"Smile!" _Click_

There went another stolen photo. Ayana gestured for them to actually take non-stolen photos, and they follow. Something like this should be documented, even _they_ – the two people who despised getting taken pictures of the most—would agree to.

_Click!_

Eventually, Ayana's lust for pictures was sated, and the two found themselves sighing in relief. "Shall we?" Reina offered pointing at grinning driver Ryoga. Tezuka nodded in assent and opened the door for her. But before she could step in though, she turned to him feeling his deep stare.

"You look beautiful, Reina." He said.

And for as far as she could remember, that was the first time she had genuinely felt glad about that compliment.

**…**

NISPEDANA-SAMA'S FINE DINING PLACE

All of the Hyotei regulars were sitting at a grand circular table filled with an amazing array of food. They were celebrating the fact that nobody got kicked off the regular spot and Atobe was treating. Everyone though (except Shishido, who was a scholarship student) could easily afford having dinner there every night anyway.

In fact, all of them were regular costumers there and yet the people and staff didn't really see them all together there so often. They were usually with their families and their friends or business partners.

Being the promising young heirs to their respective family businesses really did add to one's fame, and thus they were quite the special guests there at the moment. They even get occasional greeting from old people who knew them or at least one of their parents personally.

In any case, the usually boring dinners was definitely hyped up because they were with their friends. And despite being raised in sophistication and being men, they do gossip to some degree as well. Most of the people they knew, particularly the tennis players, have extremely interesting lives anyway.

"I never thought your _aunt_ was the coach's girlfriend." Oshitari commented facing Shishido.

"Me neither. It was the reason why I stalked them – something I don't normally do."

"That aside, you were with Jyosei's members?"

"Yeah. That Shinjou-guy apparently has a little crush on my Aunt and he stalked them too. While his teammates, the Tanaka twins, followed their captain and this guy." He said pointing on the poor blushing Ootori.

"No need to be shy. You're both great tennis players, anyway."

The silver haired boy nodded in embarrassment. "Thanks, I guess…"

"But do your parents know?"

"They do. They just had to make sure that IVF will still be legal by the time we would need it." He said nonchalantly as if none of them were eating at the moment.

"I still can't believe all those things happened though." Shishido muttered unconsciously and to their surprise, Jirou suddenly burst awake shaking in terror.

"I j-just h-had a nightmare…"

Ootori stared at him sympathetically. "Poor guy."

"Yeah. He was too innocent for his own good…" Everyone who wasn't there at the event's occurrence looked at each other and then to those who were. It was Hiyoshi who voiced out his question first.

"What happened?"

"You know Echizen Ryoma, right?"

"Yeah." He said with his eyes slightly twitching. Atobe did not say a word, and Oshitari remained being a spectator.

"He has this extremely pretty cousin… that Shishido-senpai here obviously had an eye for."

"*cough* I do not! *cough*! And are you alright Atobe?"

"*cough* yeah. Ore-sama was just thinking of…things. What were you talking about again?"

"About Echizen Ryoma's cousin."

"And…"

"Senpai has a crush on her."

"Like I _said_—"

"I see… now, why would you _like_ someone like Echizen?"

"N-Not _him_ his cousin!"

"So you do admit you like the girl."

_Thump!_

Shishido placed his head on the table in despair. Oshitari shook his head.

"Shishido. We're in a very classy place."

"A-Aa…" He muttered apathetically and remained kissing the table. The eyeglasses boy decided to ignore him and shifted to the people who would actually talk.

"Anyway, what's Jirou so terrified about?"

"It's a long story…" Ohtori said but the inquisitive looks on (most) of his teammate's faces urged him to tell anyway.

_*1 minute and 10 seconds later*_

"_WHAT?!_"

"O-OI! Atobe are you alright?"

"Atobe-sama?"

"I-I'm fine. O-Ore-sama is fine. He's just shocked that one of his teammates… would do that to a lady."

Jirou cried. "B-But I didn't mean it!"

"He really didn't, Atobe. No need to glare at the poor boy like that." Oshitari intervened clearly knowing _something_, much to Atobe's chagrin.

"Whatever. Ore-sama needs some water."

"Micheal?"

"Reina-sama…"

"That's her…" Ohtori said dazedly, and there she was… looking even more divine that he used to know, who would have thought it was possible?

Keigo remained frozen, while the others reacted differently.

"Kireiiii…" Gakuto muttered as he stared shamelessly at the couple. "But who's with her?"

"They look good." Hiyoshi said coolly sipping his tea. Gekokujou, his principle is, and he would indeed show his senpais that he did not care over such silly things as an incredibly pretty girl who looked like the guy who crushed him holding the huge hand of her good-looking boyfriend.

Oshitari honestly wanted to take photos of his teammates. Jirou and Kabaji gaped at them in admiration. Ohtori looked dumbstruck but he also looked comprehending at the same time. "I feel that I have met the guy before, as well."

Keigo sighed. Apparently, he was the only one with a working brain at the moment. Other than Oshitari, of course, who was busy analyzing _him_.

"Of course you do. That's Tezuka Kunimitsu."

And everybody else lost all the blood on their faces.

"_NANIIII!?_"

**…**

Reina and Kunimitsu entered the restaurant's lobby as casually as they could. They felt the admiring gazes, of course, but at the moment they were in their own little world.

"I don't know how to do this." He whispered jokingly and she smiled.

"At least the last memory you would have in Japan would be you 'winging' it."

"I don't know if I would like that."

"Sure you will. Let your guard down. Just for tonight."

"Very well." He said and held her hand. As if he always had his guard when he's with _her._ "Wish me luck then."

"Good luck." She smiled, but just when they were going to be ushered to their seats.

"_NANIIIIIIII!?"_

And everyone's eyes were on a group of boys, wearing a very familiar-looking uniforms.

The two of them looked at each other in exasperation.

**…**

Atobe Keigo frowned at the fact that the couple decided to ignore them. They, being the stoic people that they were, managed to look nonchalant at their walk towards their seats. But then he needed to maintain his image no matter how shocked he was, and he had been doing it successfully for the last several minutes or so. Maybe he'd even be able to approach them given a few more moments.

"Why don't we approach them, Buchou?" Oshitari offered slyly making Atobe glower at him.

'_Damn you.'_

**…**

After they sat, they found out that they no longer needed to order. Their mothers ordered _for_ them since obviously they wouldn't be very familiar with the cuisines in the menu. "Sometimes their consideration is a little offending."

"Indeed." He said but neither of them really cared. Reina decided to open a certain topic that had been bothering her since their match.

"Mitsu—"

"Why, what nice coincidence to see the two of you _here_ of all places."

"Yes. A very unfortunate one, too." Reina spat making an eye twitch. She looked beyond him. His team was right behind him, and behind _them_? Inquisitive spectators. She sighed.

One would think rich old people would have something better to do…

She looked again at the Hyotei regulars and she saw Jirou flinch and wave at her awkwardly. She could tell that he was terrified of her, but he didn't seem to hate her, though. She wondered if he's even capable of that. _'Weird guy_.' Was all she thought before proceeding to her childhood friend who refused to answer her calls.

"Obviously you're here for your dinner." She stated and made a slight nod at Micheal.

'_That's right…' _She mused. _'No wonder Micheal _(the kid) 's name sounded familiar.'

"Yes. Ore-sama and his team just ate here… What about you two? Of to a date before leaving for Germany?"

"As a matter of fact, we are."

"How sweet, Ore-sama is touched."

"Buzz of Monkey King."

"Pfft—Monkey King."

"Well, _Reina_, I will excuse myself then. Tezuka."

"Aa."

And they left, and Tezuka stared at her rather deeply before saying anything. "Don't you think you were a bit harsh?"

"No. He refused to answer my calls all those days ago for no reason at all."

"Aa. And why were you calling him?"

"I just thought that he was avoiding me that's all. "

"I see…"

"Ne, Mitsu. When we played a few days ago… you mastered the right-handed Tezuka zone, right?"

"Right."

"But it felt as if you wanted to tell me something _else_, too. Other than become Seigaku's pillar of support."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know… I just saw it in your eyes –it may just be my imagination, of course – but…"

"Reina?"

"Tezuka Zone makes my shots gravitate towards that one spot… so I thought when our eyes meet during those times… it felt like you were saying something using it… I don't know." She paused. "I'm sorry for ranting."

"Ie… Apparently, I really was…."

"So what is it?"

A moment of silence came, and that humiliated and guilty look Tezuka had were already enough to tell her everything. She held his hand. "You should be thankful that you're going, otherwise I wouldn't have gone so easy on you."

"I know…" He smiled. He wouldn't know how he'd handle it if Reina was mad at him when he left. He felt his heartbeat go faster at her deepening gaze.

"I'm certain, Mitsu. That I will only look at _you_ like this and you alone… okay?"

He nodded slightly and smiled. "It's kind of awkward and embarrassing that you still have to do this for me."

"Yeah." She grinned. "But I don't mind."

"Will you go tomorrow when they see me off?"

"Probably not." She said. If she did, it would feel like he would be gone forever. They really would prefer casual goodbyes. You know… as if they were still going to see each other the next day.

That was why when they finally drove Tezuka back to his house. He and Reina just gave each other the tightest embrace they could give.

"See you soon…"

"Aa."

And, with _this_ particular hug, Ryoga had absolutely no plans on intervening.

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER XLIII**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XLIV: Varieties**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**Animelover4ever69- **Ahahah indeed they won't! Unfortunately, the mothers actually managed. Hahahah. Thanks for commenting, btw~

**Randomness Is Awesome- **Glad to know I don't take too long to update! Hahaha. Thanks for telling me that you think I'm still doing a good job, and thx for reviewing!

**PurpleScorpion- **Time runs way too fast. xD Anyways, I'm relieved to know that it's still eventful to some degree. And yes, Atobe will begin his battle plans in a few chapters! I don't think it will be that dramatic tho. xDD But most importantly—Congratulations on officially graduating! And thx for the review~

**Shadowhawk-** Hahaha. Here it is! The next chap, I mean, and I hope what the mums planned was satisfying enough~ And yes! She does have a rival, and it is definitely the club. A little parallel to the SakunoxRyoma canon thing. Lololol. And Thank you for reviewing~! :D

**BurnedSpy- **Here's the update and I did update as soon as I could. xD Thank you for the review and I hope this was worth the wait~

**Kuniko No Yume- **LOL. Yeah… I have a weakness in drama so I ended up writing it in comedy instead. xD Glad you liked it~ But hmn.. not sure how I can avoid writing AtobexRyoma fluff scenes in the practice sessions but I'll try to minimize it. Ahahahha. And as always—Thank you for reviewing!

**GreenDrkness- **Yes Reina cheer up! (I think she did this chappy, and the answer to your question gets answered here~ hope it's nice enough) And thank you for the review!

**Arcelia- **IKR. I was really pondering if I should just use the English translation instead because of it. It just didn't sound well so I ended up using Himitsu. Glad you found the chaps interesting btw and thx for the review~

**Cheesball no Plural- (ch1) **Ah~ As you already know by now that's because he's one of Reina's important people. I'm planning on a bigger role for him in the future. **(ch3)** Ahahah Glad you found the chapter funny~! xDD It was a fun one to write (ch4) Lawl. Yes, yes he will be! Hahaha. Poor Sadist.** (ch7)** lawl. I'm fond of writing stalkers, as you already see. xD Glad you like it! (ch15) Whoa~ So happy to know that you found the story good so far! Kyaa~ **(ch19) **LOL love pentagon! Hahahhaha (ch21) Ahaha. Glad you like the chapter! *brofist* (ch27) hmn? What do of rudolf's manager? ** (ch32) LOL. Poor guy. It's stressful to have a popular lover, but yeah… fun to write and fun to read, yes? XD (ch34)** I know~ I'm thinking of a timeskip, but let's just see what happens from now. xD **(ch35) **Oh I will~ As you know this chapter is. xD (ch37) Yep~! There's likely to be 80 chapters. The minimum is a little over 70 chaps. :D** (ch38)** Yep~ I know, I know, those are the filler chaps yes? Anyway, I'm glad you came back soon.** (ch39) **hahaha. Yes dates! It only came this chap tho, unfortunately. xD (ch41) ahahah. Guess what Fuji will do? XD But n'aw, don't expect too much drama tho! xD **(ch42) **Here it iisss~! Hope it's nice enough and Thank you for reviewing multiple chapters my friend!

**Guest [May 1 2013] – **The cat? Oh Karupin. *looks at the chapter* OH that blackmail chapter oh lol. That was a fun chap. xD Thanks for reviewinG~

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><p>…<p>

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>

**And please pause for a moment before going anywhere  
>and write your thoughts on this fabulous box below. ;) <strong>


	44. Varieties

As always, thank you for reading this far! And also as always biiig hugs to those who are kind enough to let me know their thoughts! Loveyouguys.

**FAIR WARNING: **1. No hyotei and no pillar pair (I know I'm sorry. I'm saving them for next chap)  
>be rushing the games. Hope it's fine, but tell me if you wish for me to dwell on the games more. No Pillar pair either—this is practically<strong> not-so-cohesive Filler<strong> (I _tried_ to remedy it I really did, but to no avail *sobs*). BUT I **promise the next chapter will a **_**lot**_** more fun, **so please don't hate me for this chapter.

And finally, I'd like to remind everyone to _please_ not hesitate to leave your feedback below—you already know how important actually _feeling_ you there is to me. XD

**Disclaimer: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>…<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XLIV: Varieties<strong>

SEIGAKU

A week had passed since Tezuka left for Germany (no one cried. Tezuka wouldn't like that after all. He'd rather they waste energy on practice than mourning) and that meant that the next round of the tournaments had finally begun. Everyone was hyped up—but it was interestingly because they were excited to give their captain nothing but good news. Winning this particular game would mean their ticket to the top 4, and they wouldn't settle for anything less. All of them were determined to make their stoic captain proud.

Then again, why not aim for higher? In retrospect, the captain probably didn't expect any less. And so, after some cheers and an inspiring speech from their fukubuchou—the team collectively to aim for the number one spot in Kantou.

They met somewhere near the courts they were playing in and, like usual, to find out about the line-up for the next games. It was only then, though, that Reina actually bothered remembering the opponent team's name. The next team they were going against was a school named Jyosei Shounan.

Ryoma stared at the sky. _'Where have I heard that before?'_ She mused, just before feeling a tap on her shoulder. It was Sakuno, and she was looking _very_ concerned. "They're the ones with Hyotei that time at the…" She gulped. "Limousine."

Her eyes widened. "_What?"_

"Nani Nani~! What is this nya~?" Eiji (ever being the pathologically prying one) asked energetically while the other just looked at them in curiosity. She ignored them and pushed the event to the back of her head. Seriously, there was no use bother herself now, especially with such a trivial topic.

And she had to admit, when she walked to the entrance (with Momo, of course) earlier and Jyosei Shounan was there, she really did look disinterested. She barely remembered their faces, anyway.

"You are Echizen Ryoma, correct?" The reddish-brown haired lady asked. The woman looked familiar, too.

"That's right." She said and the woman blabbered about how much better she would become if she joined her team. She was saying something about becoming perfect.

But becoming perfect was not only boring, it was also troublesome. "Doesn't that mean the end?" She answered simply and turned away. She felt glares from behind her, but it was easy to ignore them.

"Eh… That hot coach was hitting on you, wasn't she? That was awkward." Momo joked. She just shrugged and soon they reached the courts. She found herself trying to recall just where she had seen her before, all the way until the coach finished announcing the line-up. She barely hear a few of her team mates and kids chatting.

"Ne, Ne… did you guys watch Phineas and Ferb yesterday. Their invention was so kewl!"

"I know."

"I agree."

"I Like Isabela." Kumi commented shyly and Eiji grinned.

"Then I shall be Phineas."

"Eiji the Pedo."

"Mou, how rude Momo!"

They halted their nonsense conversations when they heard the opponent team approach them. They were relatively far apart but near enough so Reina, being blessed and cursed with good hearing, could understand whatever they were talking about.

"That's Seigaku, eh?"

"They don't look that strong."

_Twitch_

"That rude kid really looks so much like Reina-chan…"

"Who's Reina-chan?" Her eyes jerked at the loud question by a member and Momo flinched—especially when she suddenly gritted her teeth.

"She's a very cute girl we met a few days ago. She's a monster but at least she's cute."

_Twitch_

Momo moved back inconspicuously. "Are they talking about you?"

_Twitch Twitch_

She rolled her eyes. "No senpai. They were talking about _you_."

"Eh? WHY?"

"B_a_ka."

"Wh—" Oishi ran immediately to the broiling fight and intervened. "_Anyway_…" he said. "Let's just greet them, okay? The coach is here."

**…**

Meanwhile, on a nearby part of the courts, a certain pigtailed girl was looking quite red in her new attire. It's really cool (in the bad sense of the word—she felt like her skirt would be carried off by the wind every single second) and flimsy.

"Mou, Tomoka-chan—"

"Oh, hush Sakuno!"

Tomoka, you see, forced Sakuno to wear that very embarrassing yellow and blue cheerleading costume. Horio, being the resident reactionist, just had to wear that smug look on his face as he commented.

"Why the heck do you even wear that?" He said to Tomoka causing a vein to pop above her head. Sakuno can only sweat drop and go tense, forcing herself to be ready for an incoming battle. She flinched when Tomoka suddenly whipped her head to her direction.

"We look good anyway, go away. _Ne_, Sakuno?"

Horio scoffed. "Only Sakuno looks good."

Tomoka gritted her teeth. "_What_?"

"Nani?" Horio winced at Tomoka's more vehement-than-anticipated expression.

"You never say that to a woman."

"W-Why not? It's true anyway. And you're not a woman."

She plodded towards him and glared.

"Heh! See if I care about what _you_ think." She exclaimed and waved her hands in front of him. "Shoo!"

"What? No way. I like this position. _You_ go."

"Grr—I will, then!" Tomoka yelled making incoherent hand gestures and stomped away. Everyone else, pretty much used to their banters, only shrugged and readied themselves for the lively game ahead.

Doubles two started with the Cool Inui & Hot-Headed Momoshiro playing against the Tanaka twins. A lot of people (understatement of the day) doubted the pair would _ever _work out, and for the first few games those doubts were very much justified. Momo easily got provoked (_too _easily everyone mused) and this caused them quite a number of games. In the end though, Momoshiro began gaining control of his nerves, with much help from his pathologically calm doubles partner, effectively turning the Momentum around.

Ann, who was at the time late because of traffic (how thoroughly unfortunate for their mother to force her into an errand) arrived just in time to see Momoshiro show off his moves.

Or maybe not.

It was change courts and Momoshiro just took a short water break. He actually looked quiet smug as he drunk from his little white opaque bottle.

"Momoshiro!" The coach yelled after a small but heavy thump heard just beside the bench.

And Momoshiro was already kissing the floor, unconscious.

**…**

"What are you doing here? Fudomine's game is already finished?" Ryoma asked her stoically eyeing the senpai who was not masking the pain he was feeling. Stomach-ache: the lamest one of them all.

Ann sighed and looked at her boyfriend who was then being guided out of the courts, before leaning down to Ryoma's height. "No, but I thought I'd stop by to check on _you_." She whispered and shifted her gaze to the opposite side of the courts "Did they recognize you?"

"Nope. But you should worry about Momo-senpai." She answered and Ann smiled weakly. "He will be so embarrassed when he finds out you saw him faint."

"Take a picture." Kaidoh, who was not too far from them, commented, and it made Hona frown.

"Mou, Kaoru."

"…"

"Ehhh… Kaidoh's weakness…" Ann stifled a laughter at his sudden passiveness. Sadly, though, the comment touched a nerve…

"No way in hell!" He yelled making a poor non-regular, who just happened to have been ordered to go there, and was unfortunate to be beside Kaidoh at that moment, to shiver.

"A-Ano… the Doubles 1 game is starting." He managed to croak out, and quickly ran to a safer place. The girls, on the other hand, only looked at each other anxiously, while Kaidoh just turned around and headed for the courts.

Hona sighed and bowed her head to Ann. "Gomen nasai, ano…"

Ryoma somewhat found it her moral obligation to answer for Ann. "She's Tachibana Ann. You two haven't met before?"

"Not yet…"

"Oh." Ryoma smirked, and delayed drinking her ponta. "Kaidoh senpai's girlfriend meet Momo-senpai's."

They blushed simultaneously.

"REINA!"

_Clamp_! Surprised, Ryoma dropped a disturbing amount of Ponta to the floor. She frowned deeply. _This_ was what she gets for teasing? "Che."

**…**

Doubles 1 started almost unceremoniously. Everything was going pretty well (with the opponent's odd duo with an almost comical difference in height) until the opponent's technique irksomely named 'Thunderbolt' showed up rendering Oishi's famous moon volley useless. What made everything worse was that Oishi's injury showed, making Sakuno frozen all through the entire game. She held the fence tightly and unconsciously wore a very deep worried face. Inoue saw this and smiled empathically.

"You know, when I look at these kids I kind of start to gain more respect to this generation's morale when it comes to relationships." Shiba, being one of the few who heard this, put down her camera and tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"These children?" He said looking at certain players and their girlfriends. "I don't think they're experiencing shallow crushing most kids their age experience, which is supposedly really rare (I always did doubt children's judgements). But them—I'm almost certain they will end up with each other in the end. Especially, Tezuka and Echizen."

"Tezuka and Ech—" She stepped back in shock. "E-EH? _REALLY?_"

Inoue face-palmed. "Hush, Shiba."

"T-They were dating?"

"You didn't notice?" He uttered incredulously at the fact that she had absolutely no idea. "Well, I wasn't sure myself… but then Ryuzaki-sensei was nice enough to confirm my suspicions."

"Since when?"

"I only noticed at their last match. But Ryuzaki-sensei said they had been dating for quite some time now, surprise eh?"

"I can't believe a 12-year old beat me."

"Isn't she already 13?"

"No. I don't know why but I'm certain she's still 12. I saw her birth certificate."

"What?"

"Her birthday is December, you see, so she will officially turn 13 in the next term."

"She's even younger than I had anticipated, then. I usually find the idea appalling, but when you look at them…"

"You look like a fangirl Inoue-senpai."

He blushed and cleared his throat. "Don't forget you photos."

"Oh—Y-Yes!"

**…**

Seigaku won eventually, even with Oishi's injury, thanks to their experience as a team. 6-4, the score was, which was pretty decent. Next game, Singles 3 will be played by Kaidoh. Shiba hyped up, and nodded as Inoue made his commentaries. "Here comes another cute couple." He said, eyeing the tense reddish Kaidoh and a meek-looking Hona.

"Oh, them I know. They were childhood friends, right?" She asked. "Very cute. And Kaidoh-kun is so adorable when he looks so flustered."

"I bet Meino-san does too." Inoue said out-of-nowhere annoying Shiba.

"You're too old for Meino-san."

"I'm only in my late 20s, you know."

"There should be around, what? 10 year difference?"

He frowned. "Age doesn't matter."

"Whatever." She said returning to her taking photos, but irritation was obvious in her movements and facial expression. And that killer aura that surrounded her made Inoue take a few steps away.

'_What's wrong with _her_?'_ He mused and let out a deep breath of disapproval.

"There's no way you'd take good pictures with that face."

She frowned. "What was that supposed to mean?"

"What I mean is a work of art shouldn't be d—"

"Urusai."

Inoue was taken aback, and he crossed his arms. "What?"

This time Shiori did not answer and instead continued her attempts on doing her job. Inoue shook his head in a mixture of confusion and irritation.

'_Women.'_

**…**

Echizen Ryoma's battle passed by quickly. Okay it was the opposite, and she had gotten quite a bit of injuries along the way. She shook her head at the obvious anger in her teammate's side but she knew how they felt. If anyone of them got real hurt she'd be pretty mad, herself. But like _hell_ she'd admit that.

Momo was an exemption of course, what happened to him was mostly funny.

Shinjou's Mirage was very troublesome and a very impressive technique. The odd spin and speed he put in the ball rendered it difficult for her to tell if it was a heavy ball or not. But it was his deep impulse that caused her most injuries. A very strong shot and he had to do that odd gesture of his for style. The coach and their captain seemed to be against this move, to the point that the coach berated him for using it.

Shinjou was stubborn, though, and he continued to using it in the game. She managed to conquer it by using the stutter step. It's a high-level technique (of course) that she used to take advantage of the power already on the shot, and to return it with maybe even greater power.

She won in the end, depriving Fuji and Ohtori's boyfriend of their match. Her eyes twitched slightly when she finally felt the sting of her shallow wounds.

And not even a moment after she had approached her team and was congratulated—there was ice on her forehead. She batted an eyelid. "Senpai."

"You should treat those wounds immediately." He stated and she saw from her side that Ohtori's boyfriend was there. She saw him and Fuji talk before she got out of the courts, but now he was just staring.

"I apologize for my teammate's actions."

"Mada Mada."

Fuji smiled in understanding. "He says it's fine, Kajimoto-san."

"Echizen." Someone from behind them called. It was the opponent team's coach.

_Coach…_

Oh now she remembered."I remember you now," She voiced out and everybody in the vicinity blinked at the rise of her usually monotonous voice. "You're Sakaki-san's girlfriend."

Birds' chirps, the passing of the wind, and the rustle of the wind were clearly heard amongst the silence that occupied the area then. The faces also looked rather pale.

"EHHHHHHH?!"

**…**

The ending handshakes with Jyosei ended about an hour before lunch, a few minutes after the congratulations. Everyone segregated and decided to meet at the Takahashi sushi shop for lunch. Many of the team went to the hospital to accompany Oishi, and many headed directly to the sushi shop like Kaidoh and Hona. The rest however decided to stay for a while, and that included Inui. At the moment he was conspicuously hiding behind a bush watching two people in interest.

"Fuji-senpai, I can really do this myself." Ryoma pouted as Fuji forced her to sit down the bench so he can put ice on her wounds.

"Ie. Tezuka specifically asked _me_ to take care of you."

"I don't think he meant spoiling me."

"What do you think he meant, then?"

"I'm not sure." She shook her head. Sometimes she knew him by heart, sometimes she just didn't get him. Fuji smiled as he placed the ice on her arm. "Just let me do this, then."

"But…"

"Don't worry, Reina. I am very well aware of what you feel and I will not get some sort of false hope if you allow me to do this."

She looked away in embarrassment, and Fuji laughed. "Whatever."

_Click_

An almost indiscernible sound of pressing phone keys was heard only by the taker. His glasses shimmered and put his phone to his pocket. Pictures like that always came in handy in the future. Besides, he was fairly sure how this would end up. This was pretty much the paragon unrequited love. Echizen Reina would never love anyone as she loved their captain, long amount of observations ensured him that.

Still, he couldn't help but feel the sense of suspicion for the future. After all the romance surrounding him lately (whether or not he chose to watch them was immaterial), and perhaps some new disturbing information he gathered from teams, he could tell a few more problems would come their way.

As he walked away and headed to the games nearby, his sights caught two very angry looking girls walk at an altogether other side of the park. He tilted his head.

It was Tomoka and Shiba.

So he followed them stealthily and hid behind a tree directly behind where they sat. Other people's love lives always interested him since knowledge of such data always gave him great a many chances to obtain nice little information. The two girls talked about how annoyed they were at certain non-regular people and for a moment he decided to just leave.

But too much knowledge wouldn't really hurt. Especially with the nice juicy words he'd been hearing.

"Geez. That pedophile!" Shiba exclaimed in rage. Tomoka got her cellphone out to check the dictionary.

"Pedophile. Old geezers that have a taste for young women."

"He's not _that_ old. At least not that much older than _me._"

Tomoka sighed. "Well at least yours is decent. I don't even know why I want to hit Horio so badly! Especially when he said that…"

"That?"

"Only Sakuno looked pretty in this…" She muttered looking at her uniform.

"Eh? What a jerk. You look very cute, Tomoka-chan!" The older woman commented making the girl's eyes twinkle and they encouragingly held each other's hands.

"I know right! That guy is _blind_!" She sighed. "I don't even know why I care."

It was then a very and extremely suspicious dark atmosphere surrounded them and they whipped their heads behind them.

"I-Inui-senpai?"

"INUI?"

"That is me." He stated monotonously and the two shivered. He wasn't mad, they knew that, Inui was very rarely mad. Just scheming. He was just so obviously _scheming._

"Ladies…" He began, eyeglasses glimmering. "I think I may have the answer to that question."

**…**

That lunch, a certain Inoue Mamoru typed vehemently at his computer. Still, he thought it was a pity they wouldn't be able to join the team for lunch. Inoue needed the article done as soon as possible, after all. With only 1 slot remaining for the top four, he wanted to finish the paragraphs for the matches already done and just input the parts about the final battle for the last spot.

He uttered a short greeting as Shiba joined him at the adjacent table. Last time he saw her, she seemed to be mad at something, but now she just looked embarrassed. He gave her an encouraging and forgiving smile. "What's wrong?"

"Ano… I apologize for being so rude earlier." She muttered, blushing slightly and Inoue actually thought it was cute. Girls blushing were always cute to Inoue, although in all honesty… he had always believed Shiba was an exemption.

"Are you going to tell me what happened?" He smiled, not expecting her to do just that.

"Inui said I must have been jealous." She gulped. "Of Meino."

Inoue's eyes widened at her bluntness and gave her a slight smile and patted her on the head. "That's adorable."

Her eyes jerked.

Shiba wanted to punch him. Why was he treating _her_ like a child, when she's just _three_ years younger!?

She slapped his hand away, and stomped out the door. Mumbling something about taking photos of the semi-finalists as an excuse. Inoue sighed. "Women are so complicated."

…

SUSHI SHOP

Everyone had gathered at Seigaku's favourite eatery. Oishi, Sakuno, and Eiji stated that they just got a reservation. They have to return to the hospital so they wouldn't be able to watch the match against Fudomine and Yamabuki.

Tomoko glared at Horio.

"What?"

"Nothing, I just think you look like a monkey no matter how I look at you."

"Oi!"

"Tomoka-chan, that was very rude." Sakuno said, while Tomoka's mood did not change. Her peripheral view caught Inui senpai's glasses, and she shivered internally.

She_ would_ prove to _everyone_ that there was no way she _liked_ that chimpanzee! NO WAY.

She turned her head to Echizen, who winced under her scheming stare. She smiled sweetly and held out her chopstick holding a delicious looking dimsum. "Say, AH~ Echizen-sama."

Horio sneered. "Stop forcing Echizen to eat your poison."

"Urusai." She muttered, pretending to ignore him. But to her utter annoyance he _did_. And he even said something _mad_ before returning to whatever he was doing prior!

"At that rate I don't think you'll ever get a guy to like you."

_Sqqquuuuuuuueee_

"Why y—YOU Monkey! If you have a face like that you don't have the right to say that!"

Horio gritted his teeth, then oblivious to the team's prying stares. "Well I don't _care, _you nag!"

But he flinched at what he saw in Tomoka's expression. It was only instantaneous and she returned to her usual, noisy, self before standing up indignantly and headed towards the door.

"Whatever!" She yelled. "You monkey!"

**…**

They arrived back at the tennis court shortly after one in the afternoon with Inui, Fuji, and Ann watching Kamio and Sengoku's game. Ann showed that the now have a score of 2-1, with them winning. Ryoma didn't bother looking who won and who lost. It was a team effort, after all, so she left Momo and Ann alone and went straight to the seniors.

"What were you talking about?" She asked in curiosity. She thought she heard some pretty interesting terms from the conversation. Fuji turned his head to look at her, wearing that nonchalant expression of his.

"How he planned Tomoka and Horio's little fight earlier."

"I see…" Wait. "What?"

Inui remained impassive, and continued to watch the game as they spoke. Kamio was riding a great momentum at the moment, and Inui knew who'd win. "I only told them what they feel."

"I didn't think you'd be interested in getting data from them." Fuji said, as if they were speaking of what they ate for breakfast, still Fuji genuinely did care for the issue. A little.

"Not really. It's just interesting to see various people react in different ways." Inui was going to be a scientist, after all, doing experiments likes these come second nature to him. Ryoma, however, did not agree.

"Playing with people's feelings is never good, senpai."

"I just told them the truth." He stated firmly making her frown. She, herself, did not want to remember how confused she was when she found out about her feelings. And although she didn't particularly like Tomoka, she definitely wanted her to find out at her own pace.

"I don't think any good will come of that."

"Echizen," She blinked at the sound of her name. "If I told you there's a possibility of you falling in love with Atobe, you'd probably harden your guard to prove me wrong."

Fuji's eyes opened at the statement. "Why would she?"

"They're childhood friends, according to the month-long research I did, along with Yukimura Seichi."

"Eh?" Fuji uttered and then looked at Reina. He flinched immediately at her expression—she was glaring at Inui. In a way he hadn't seen her in a long time.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" She stated and they both cringed at the statement. Fuji immediately went to follow Reina, while Inui continued to watch the game until it's end—looking as if he didn't have a care.

Inui still liked Reina, but he was a man of science—something like this will not make him change. Still, he would not stand her falling in love with another man. It was simply unthinkable.

**…**

Fuji followed her as she went from vending machine to vending machine. He felt puzzled since there were Pontas yet she seemed to be looking for something else. Then she stopped, and he eventually got to her and saw what she was holding.

Broccoli Juice.

He saw Tezuka drink one of those before, and he knew immediately why she went looking for it. "Is that like your theme drink or something?"

She didn't answer and she sighed. "You know you really shouldn't let Inui get to you. He's probably just experimenting."

"I know. But the fact that I couldn't just _ignore _what he said made me think that…" She put the cold can over her head and gritted her teeth. "I may not as be as loyal as I thought."

He sneered at her mockingly making her frown. "Nonsense."

"Care to expand?" She stated 'politically' with eyes twitching in anger. But to her surprise, Fuji calmly patted her head and smiled.

"You should know this by now but theoretically speaking I should be able to make any girl fall in love with me." He paused and looked at her deeply. "But_ you_ didn't." "And I will personally find it offending if you fall for _him_ and not for me."

It took her a full minute to absorb what he just said—and she laughed. Fuji grinned, and ignored the pain that accompanied his speech. He shrugged.

At least she's happy.

And he partly wondered where Amou Nami could be when one needed her.

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XLIV**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XLV: Beach**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO REVIEWS<strong>

**Cheeseball no plural- **Of course I replied to them all. They're all very lovely. xD And indeed! This chap was sooo sad primarily because it didn't have Tezuka. Even I'm having withdrawals. xD Thanks for the review btw!

**Dreamer852-** Oh my I'm super glad you still love this story til' now! So glad to know that and thank you for the review~! I apologize for the uneventful chapter tho.

**BloodyFangKing95-** Thank you for reviewing! I'm very happy to know you're impressed and I shall try my best to keep it up! And altho this chap is probably a disappointment, hope you still like it!

**BurnedSpy- **Here it is! Super sorry I took so long and only to give a probably disappointing chapter! I promise the next one'll be better and thx for the comment~ :D

**Animelover4ever69- **Hehehe glad I made you laugh! xD Hopefully I get to do that again the _next_ chapter (since this one's kinda lacking). Anyways thanks again for the review~! :D

**RyoKei-** LOL thank you for the review~! Super glad to know you liked the chapter! And yeah… I kinda remember trying to draw megane-less Tezuka but failed miserably. He should be effing awesome tho, I'll just leave that to your imaginations. xD

**Kuniko no Yume- ***cackles* Well then I'm giddy to know I made you laugh like hell. xDDD And IKR? I find it hard to imagine his hair combed back, but I could feel the coolness oozing out so I went with it anyway. Lawl. And here's the next chap! I promise the next one'll be better, and I love you too. xD

**Randomness Is Awesome- **hahah yay! I loved writing those Pillar pair fluff and super happy to know you like them. Sadly no such fluff happens in this chap but I hope it's good enough for now anyway. Thx for the comment! :D

**GreenDrkness- **hehehe Glad you liked the mother's plot! :D He leaves before this chapter is set (I kinda skipped it because Tezuka just isn't well suited for drama). Anyway, thanks for the review and I hope you also are OK with this chap!

**Shiruba Tenka**- Thank you for reviewing! I'm sooo happy to know it was better than expected and glad that you liked the decisions I made. However, I'd like to warn you that this chap will be Hyotei-less (forgive me) but I hope it's fine as it is anyway. :D You can tell me what you really thought of course. ;)

**CherryAmes15- **Ahahahah indeed! Awkward tezuka's adorable. Glad you liked the scenes with the Echizen family too! Thank you for telling me what you thought~! :DD

**Shadowhawk- **Thank you, as always, for reviewing love! And I agree I need to see Tezuka dressed like that. Maybe I'll make an attempt to draw him one of these days. xD And do forgive me for skipping Tezuka's actual departure! It just didn't feel write to right that somehow xD and hope this chapter was tolerable enough! I promise next one's better. hihihi

**PurpleScorpion- **LOL *brofist* IKR after 43 chapters and 2 years they finally went on a proper date. *cackles* Oh and about the American Team, I'm still not there yet but it's likely I'll write that, and we'll wait and see what happens with Kevin! :D Thanks for the review and I wanna remind you I want news on what happens to your board exams! (If that's alright of course) :DD

**Zelga Lim Li- (ch3) **hehehehe. It's a fastfood chain like McDonalds only its mascot is a bee rather than a clown. xD It's nice there you should try it! And thx for commenting by the way. xD

**Hopelessfreakz- (ch43)** Here it is! So sorry it was so late, plus it's probably less than what you'd expect. Promise the next one's better!** (ch42)** hahah I made another account to write on fandoms I'm not particularly familiar with but has bunnies bugging me to hell. Ahahaha. This is still my main acct tho. In any case I'm glad you found it either way. Oh, and thx for the comments. :D

**Gasterkitty634- (ch11) **Hehehe. Glad you liked the Pillar pair, although you like Thrill better! (at some point I did too) Hope you got this far tho, and thanks for reviewing. :D

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><p>…<p>

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><p>Thanks for reading!<br>Hope you somewhat enjoyed it, and do remember that _whatever you thought_—I want to know them. :D


	45. Beach

Thank you for still being here—yo! Means so much to me.  
>And like always special special hugs to those who gave me even more of their time by giving me their feedbacks. :D<p>

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>…<p>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER XLV: Beach<strong>

Horio Satoshi was woken up by her mother's loud nagging. He groggily shifted positions and accidentally hit his brother on the other bunk. The boy, being 4 years old, did nothing but cry. He apologized and patted his back to help him sleep again but it was no use. The kid continued to cry—making the youngest one, a girl a few months old, to cry as well in the other room.

"SATOSHI! I ask you to wake up to help me cook _not_ to wake every single person in the house up!" His mother yelled at the top of her lungs. The children had been used to their yelling, so they didn't wake up just by the sound of it. They usually woke up if they heard any other type of noise though which was seriously annoying.

It was weird, he knew, but then again they all were.

Horio groaned in displeasure and carried his brother downstairs, before proceeding to his sister, who was fortunately a lot easier to lull to sleep. It was only then that he finally proceeded to start cooking. Their breakfast was fish, again, since they had a good supply of it for their father was a fisherman.

Horio looked at the counters at that last thought. Judging by the plate on the faucet he had already gone to the docks.

He went onto his daily routines like washing the dishes, taking a bath, and readying the baby's milk. He was just thankful it was summer vacation and so they had a more forgiving schedule. The only difference now was that there was actually something bugging him that wasn't about his inferiority complex.

And as he walked to school…he sighed, for the hundredth time that day.

He was still bitter about Tomoka and the fact that she cried _because_ of him. But he shook his head vehemently at the sudden memory.

"_WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! That Horio BAKA!" _He could still her sobs then. He didn't mean to see her, it was an accident. He kept telling himself luck was going against him again and he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Tomoka seemed to have been crying after everyone had taken their leave. Sakuno stayed with Tomoka, while he knew the other regulars either went to the hospital or went to watch the final game of the quarter finals.

He went back because he forgot his _handkerchief_. He definitely not expecting to see her sobbing—especially not like that. And him being him…?

He did what he did best: _Run_

.

Horio didn't even know she was capable of that. The headstrong Osakada Tomoka that stood by what she said no matter what. Unlike him, being such a braggart yet so much of a coward. The only thing they had in common were brown hair, large family, and huge mouths.

When he entered the court area, she was the first person that he saw. She was hyper as usual, and when she felt his gaze she quickly turned her head away and 'hmphed'. And as a habit, he gritted his teeth.

"What was that about?! I wasn't even _looking at you_."

"I never said you were, MONKEY. You're face was just _that_ appalling!"

"Grrr—"

"_Grrrrr—_"

They stopped when they heard the vice-captain's firm clap. "EVERYONE GATHER!"

And that they did. He introduced a 'new member' and for a moment most of the people thought it was Echizen's twin. They knew better though: He was Dan Taichi, a kid who beat his 2 years of tennis experience once before.

It was on a tennis court near the river. They met by chance, and him with all of his bragging stood no chance. It was impressive that he tried be like Ryoma so much that he styled himself like him and was even able to do the twist serve. He was annoyed yet relieved at the same time. The boy really inspired the three of them to practice harder. He showed them that with hard work, you truly will become a much better player.

And after Oishi asked for who wanted to have matches with regulars as a part of everyone's training, Horio raised Dan's hand, getting the latter to flinch nervously, but Horio ignored that. He wanted to give Dan a chance to battle with his idol, after all.

"Are you sure this is okay, desu?" He asked politely (after giving Horio a short appreciative look) and Echizen just shrugged.

Horio knew Echizen Ryoma enough that he (to some degree) understood that she really didn't mind that her appearance was getting mimicked. What he didn't know though was it was particularly because during her days in the US tennis scene there was a few children who cosplayed as her. It got weird when men older than her started doing the same though.

However, as the game progressed, what really annoyed her a little was the mimicking of _techniques_. Her Twist Serve and now Drive B. It annoyed her because he reminded her of _her_ during her toddler years trying to copy her father. And more importantly she's annoyed that it wasn't in her ability to hold back on someone who worked so _hard_, now she actually had to muster more effort than necessary.

And so began a certain Dan Taichi's even more pitiful game. He ended up losing badly.

The boy soon lost his enthusiasm—he even _cried_—and this annoyed her in a different way. What a troublesome kid. "That is so uncool, man." She said, arrogantly pointing her racket at him. This would either break him even more or do something else. The latter would certainly be less demeaning.

And to her surprise, he seemed to have remembered something—presumably what motivated him to do all this in the first place—and quickly regained his will.

He still lost 6-0 though, unsurprisingly, but the boy was so into it that he didn't even notice that it was the match point. Ryoma smirked at that and approached the net for the customary handshake. The boy was beaming and suddenly she didn't think he was so troublesome after all.

"I swear I'll do my best to surpass you!"

"But a copy shouldn't be able to."

"…"

She gave him a feint tired sigh. "Develop your own style." She hinted, making the boy (and the audience) blink in surprise. "You can base it on mine, of course." She shrugged. "But don't blame me if you die."

There was a momentary silence as Dan absorbed what she just _joked_ (go figure) about, and he laughed out loud, a new sort of will forming. "Hai!"

Ryoma remained oblivious to the fact that, in the course of events that day, something in Horio Satoshi changed as well.

…

HYOTEI GAKUEN

It was also the summer break in Hyotei Academy but like the team who made it to the top 4, they were also training. It was simply just the way it was. And most of the regulars were just thankful they didn't get kicked out of their spots.

Odd enough though, the person who won—and against the famed Tezuka Kunimitsu, too—was still as grim as ever for the past few weeks. None of them knew what had gone through, nor did they think he'd talk, but he _was_ their captain… and despite him 'pretending' to be normal, most of them could see that he was still troubled.

And as if the tension in the courts weren't enough—Oshitari challenged Atobe for a match supposedly comprised of 'light rallies'. And after a game that reached to the tie-breaker (really, no one expected the game to be _light_), Oshitari still lost, but it was the sort of good game expected from Hyotei's best players, and for the duration of the game Atobe seemed like his usual self.

Then he was back to how he was before the game, and the bespectacled genius couldn't help but sigh. He sat beside their captain and started asking again as soon as he was certain no one would overhear them. "And there I thought you were fine again." He said, pertaining to his little intimidation about his greatness a few times during the game (albeit he counted and they were even _more_ frequent than usual).

The silver-haired bocchama stayed quiet but flinched immediately when Oshitari suddenly touched a few of his chords.

"Now I know why your favourite color is gold." Oshitari said calmly and his captain flinched. Atobe had gold comb, gold utensils, and many more. And outside Oshitari's knowledge… he even had a golden-colored bedroom.

"Of course Ore-sama loves gold," He uttered haughtily to hide his befuddled state. "It's a symbol for wealth and greatness, which Ore-sama so _obviously_ have an abundance of."

"I'm sure _that girl's _eyes had something to do with it."

"This has nothing to do with Reina."

"Of course. It had something to do with her and her boyfriend."

"Shut up, Oshitari."

"Maybe I'd stop prying if you stop acting like such a grim person. It doesn't suit you."

"Ore-sama is grim? Now that's just blasphemy."

The bluenette smirked in amusement. "Maybe you should try to relax sometimes. It should hel—"

Atobe abruptly stood up, and started yelling pompously. "Listen up brats!

"Everyone who showed a considerable amount of improvements since we [didn't win], will be able to go to the beach with Ore-sama tomorrow!"

…

The freshmen trio, the coach, and a few others went to see Dan and Banji to the gate and waved their goodbye. The old man nodded politely and Dan waved enthusiastically. "Arigatou, Minna-san! I learned a lot!"

And so, without further ado, the two left.

They watched the two be completely lost to their sights as some sort of formality, but really they were reminiscing all they learned about tenacity and will from boys their age. As if they weren't being challenged enough to be better at tennis, the game between Dan and Echizen certainly lifted up their goals.

Soon, they returned to the courts and saw the regulars were gathered densely—seemingly waiting for the coach to get back. The three just looked at each other and followed out of curiosity.

"The coach and I had discussed a different sort of training, as a break from the usual sessions as well as little more challenges." Inui discussed stoically, looking at all of them. "We have decided to train on the beach."

The silent gust of wind passed through the courts as it was silenced. The students could not believe what they just heard. Of course, they eventually absorbed the news and (much to their coach's chagrin) became animals.

"EH!?"

"Awesome~"

"WO_HOOO_!"

"Nya! Cool Idea!"

"WOHOOO!" "Finally a break—"

The coach glowered, freezing them as they were (that was to say most were in very awkward positions). "You're not going there to play, brats! You're going there to _train_, got it?"

Another wave of silence passed, but this one made everyone slump. "Hai…"

The pragmatic Oishi was first to regain composure to realize something. He looked at the coach. "Wait…" he paused and pointed at himself. "Us?"

The coach nodded. "I can't come with you, because I have a reunion of my own scheduled. And since the next battle is within a few weeks, Inui and I had decided it was the best time for you to do this activity." She uttered somewhat ambiguously. "In any case, you better make this trip count."

Inui was scribbling on his notebook, probably something the wouldn't understand, as he multi-tasked with telling them some information about the trip. "You don't have to worry about the expenses, the bus trip to Chiba is taken care of by the school while Takahashi asked his relative (with connections) to get us accommodations."

"Besides, my granddaughter and Osakada will join you as helpers as well."

"Yatta!" Eiji yelled. The more the merrier, after all. Then Sumire asked if there were any question, and Ludwig was the one the ask first. "Do we have to come too? I would like just play Diablo 3 here in the city."

"I suppose you don't have to… it would be your teacher's decision, not mine."

"You'll come." Ryoma answered immediately. Oishi nodded.

"Yep. You have to come." And stared at his student. "You too."

The two kids rose their eyebrows simultaneously. "Why?"

"You'd be our assistants, handing us our drinks and such."

"Wa—"

"It's settled then." Eiji cut him off, unable to suppress his incessantly-hampered excitement, and jumped high. "TO THE BEACH!"

**…**

Later that night, some half-an-hour past nine, Reina sat in front of her computer, having the clichéd long distance relationship chat. They had been talking for about an hour now, and Reina couldn't help but feel worried.

"Are you sure you're not hungry?" She asked, it was past lunch time and he hadn't eaten yet. "I can wait, you know."

"I'm not hungry. Besides, you can't sleep too late. The trip to Chiba will be early." He answered and Reina read it, as usual, in his trademark baritone voice. The memory of his voice was becoming more and more like music every single day they were apart.

"Are you certain Momoshiro will get you?"

"Yes, I threatened to spill his idiotic moments to Ann if he wakes up late."

"Ah…" He entered, and Reina knew he smiled. "Are you going swimming, though?"

"No. I think we'll just be training the whole time."

"Don't injure yourself again."

"I didn't."

_Ping!_

A picture of her… and Fuji that time at the park appeared in her screen. Her eyes widened at the sweet scene that they composed. And that look in her eyes—she flinched. She knew what she felt and she knew she was just touched by his friendly action… nothing more. But what if Kunimitsu thought otherwise?

But whatever happened she _would so kill Inui._

"Ah… that's because he took what you asked of him too literally."

"Hmm…"

"He told me that it won't raise hope in him though, so I didn't struggle."

"You two looked sweet, anyway."

"I suppose…"

"Mitsu?"

"You're jealous aren't you?"

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"Mitsu."

"I suppose it's normal." He smiled (in her mind's eye, anyway). "Besides, we'll see each other soon enough."

That's true. But she wished those arms of his would heal _now_. She shook the selfish thoughts away and just smiled at the screen.

"It would've been great if you'll be bossing us around in the beach" She typed shyly. And a minute later, he finally replied.

"You'd have a lot of that soon."

She smirked. And she thought she really couldn't wait for that to happen.

**…**

NISPEDANA BEACH RESORT STATION 3, CHIBA  
><em>The next day<em>

All was well. All was nice. Even the kids momentarily forgot about their ranting.

That was until the Freshmen Trio oh-so-skillfully lost the ticket to their accommodation.

"Saa… it's probably out in the sea. But it's not like you did it on purpose, so we should just let it go."

"…but we came all the way to Chiba, too—"

"Eh… you children have problems with where to stay?" A very familiar-looking man with bandage covering his face and uneven tan marks uttered confidently. Everybody but Oishi and Kaidoh, flinched crazily immediately recognizing the man.

Who could forget such a… _perverted_ existence?

"Ara…?"

_Silence_

"It's YOU!" Eiji and Momoshiro yelled pointing at the old man rudely. Oishi blinked. While most of the others face-palmed. Leave it to those two to take forever to load.

"You know him, you two?"

"We all do."

"No, we don't. He's just a perverted old man completely unrelated to me." She uttered, as she recalled Oishi probably never saw her father when he went there with Tezuka. She ignored her father's glare.

"Oi!"

"What do you want anyway?"

"Echizen…"

"HAHAHA. Still the same wherever they meet. Pfft—"

"Urusai!"

"…hai."

Nanjiroh cleared his throat. "I'm taking care of a shop as requested by an old friend since he's off to some sort of reunion." He paused for a while as he stared at them, making them feel slightly even more awkward. "We're in need of helpers." He paused again, assessing them even deeply (Reina swore she'd punch this guy soon if he didn't stop). Then he grinned and clapped his hands, making them all flinch. "So here's the deal: If you guys liven up the place _much_ more, then I'll take care of a place for you to sleep."

They all looked at each other for a while, waiting for _someone_ to make a decision. That someone of course had to be the acting captain and had no real choice but to agree. It's not like the man's a stranger, anyway. They were all assigned their respective duties and… it turned to be all pretty good, actually, as they found out only several minutes after beginning their jobs.

To no one's surprise, the number of costumers increased by _folds_. Most of the costumers were females, ogling Fuji and Oishi. There was even a nice little line of waiting costumers. Kawamura, Horio, Mizuno, Tomoka, and even Momoshiro were unexpectedly good cooks as well.

But with an unprecedented increase of costumers came shortages in supply.

Ryoma was out having a talk with her father when they yelled. "Echizen-san! There is no more stock!"

And it went all down after that. During the time they waited for the supply, Momoshiro and Kaidoh got into a fight. Some idiot asked Kawamura to stop them and handed him a racket. Worst mistake _that_ someone ever made.

The whole place was ransacked several minutes later.

"GAH! My Salary…" Nanjiroh exclaimed in despair making them feel all guilty. They knew he didn't really need the money, but still—

Destroying an eatery was never a good feat.

.

And then, after many moments of mourning (primarily by Nanjiroh) and surveying the surroundings for _some _inspiration on what to do, Nanjiroh somehow Ryoma and Kaidoh got dragged into playing Beach Volleyball as some sort of advertising gig. He announced that any pair to win against them would get free food, consequently making the other freshmen get some supplies. Ludwig and Micheal came with them for more man power.

A big audience roused, and drinks were at its hype. They had to drag Inui away from the blender, though. He was making juices that would get them all behind bars.

In any case, the 'Seigaku's Isonothings' the weird name Nanjiroh made up for the Echizen-Kaidoh volleyball pair won the games effortlessly. That was until the all-too familiar Sasabe father and son pair came with the kids and other freshmen. Apparently they were from the other side of the beach, the 'richer' side full of wealthy people.

They were winning without a hint of sweat with those two as well, which was good since Ryoma only brought another extra pair of shirt. If she was a guy she wouldn't even need one.

But then the opponents started to cheat. The shots to the lines were declared 'out' and the younger Sasabe kicked sand to Ryoma's eyes hindering her eyesight. The poor bastard was lucky Ryoma decided to play along calmly. The boys could swear they were ready to strike.

They won in the end (of _course)_, and then later found out that the morons _pocketed_ their tickets.

But (as usual) the Freshmen Trio, who were closest to where the paper landed as well as the first to realize what it was, decided to blame the two first before actually getting the ticket. A little gust of wind and they were without tickets again…

"Waaa…."

"Gomen nasai…"

"Go run all the way to Tokyo!"

"Momoshiro, calm down…"

Eiji sighed. "I guess we'll still have to go after all…"

And once again, everyone entered the 5 stages of mourning.

**…**

Meanwhile, on Station one, the much more exclusive section of the beach, a certain team of tennis players lounged around, unaware of their counterpart's accommodation problems.

Atobe Keigo had just got down to the shore after snorkelling with a few of his team members. He gracefully combed back his hair with his hand showing off the movement of his muscles… effectively getting the girls in the vicinity to squeal.

Gakuto shook his head in slight amusement, while Shishido just sighed. He flinched when he saw his double partner staring. Ohtori winced when Shishido waved his hand in front of his face.

"You already have a boyfriend."

"I-I know." He said defensively. "I was… daydreaming of him, in fact."

"Whatever." The brunette shrugged and then tilted his head in curiosity as he saw Oshitari approach them.

"Where have you been?" He asked.

"Exploring."

"Where to?" This time, Atobe was the one to ask.

"Station 3." Oshitari replied coolly. He was just walking around, really, and he was surprised when he ended up there. He was lucky that a lot of interesting things unfolded for him to watch.

"Eh? What are you doing in poor people's areas? Go to the sea and take a bath."

"You know Atobe, essentially speaking, we are all swimming in the same beach."

"But right now the water is in this area, so go."

Oshitari just sighed, ignoring him, and they continued walking. When only he and Atobe were in earshot, he finally decided to say what he saw. "Seigaku was there."

"_What?_" Atobe jerked. "What were they doing?"

"Playing Beach Volleyball and serving drinks, from what I saw."

"Huh?" Atobe asked sceptically. "You sure it was them?"

"Yes. I'm not sure what they came here for though, they neither swam nor trained, and now they were heading home."

"Like I said, I wasn't sure." He leaned closer to Atobe and whispered, "I don't think you should follow them."

"Ore-sama was not planning to."

"Didn't we go here for you to relax?" Oshitaro commented, ignoring his lie. "I don't think following the cause of your royal dismay will help you achieve that."

After a little glaring contest, Atobe sighed in defeat. "Why did you tell me then?"

"You asked."

"Smartass."

Oshitaro smirked. "Why do you think we're friends?"

Atobe was about to say something grand as a retort when he felt something soft (a beach ball, he found out a second later) hit him strongly in the face. He palmed his face by reflex, his nose is intact, and glared at his teammates who had been to passionate about beach volleyball to care where their lethal shots go.

"50 laps on the beach, _now!_"

.  
><strong>.<strong>

** END OF CHAPTER XLV: **

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XLVI: Just for Fun**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS <strong>

**Cheeseball no plural –** Hahahha we're both random! *brofist* And I see you're a math whiz. That's so cool! ** (ch11) **Oh my I miss those days! (Fuji the Stalker) I really do I wanna write those sort again. Oh, and here's the next chap! I'm sorry it took so long, and Thank you for the reviews!

**Shiruba Tenka**- Well this chapter was a little better than chap 44, but is it safe to say that the next chap will be more eventful? LOL And thank you for praying! I seriously seriously needed that. xDD And thx for reviewing, btw! :D

**Animelover4ever69- **Supperrr glad you still think it was somewhat of an amusing chapter! *sobs* And Thank you for reviewing~!

**RyoKei-** Hahaha glad Ryoma was in-character in those scenes! I'm super relieved tho to know you still found the chapter interesting. But unfortunately Tezuka will return along with the canon events that correspond to that. *sob* Thanks for the review btw~!

**CherryAmes15- **Thank you for reviewing~! Here're a little bit of Hyotei for now. I think I'll add more moments in the next chap! xD

**BloodyFangKing95-** I'm glad you thought it was a nice chapter! Thank you for reviewing and I'll do my best to keep up (and get better)! :DD

**BurnedSpy- **Here it is! As always I'd bow in apology for taking forever. Thank you for commenting by the way! I appreciate it.

**Randomness Is Awesome- **YAY so glad it was somehow good enough. I hope to improve and thank you for reviewing~!

**Hope- **Someone to slap Inui, eh? That'll be a good thing to watch. Hehehhe. I'll think about it! And thank you for commenting! :D

**PurpleScorpion- ***wipes nervous sweat* Whew! Glad you thought it was a nice chapter anyway! And yep! Rokakku appears next chap tho. xD And yeah (about the exams). You know what they say, the suffering is actually easier than the fear of it. AND CONGRATS ON PASSING! *throws confettis*

**Hopelessfreakz- **Oh lol. I wonder who will I brainwash to 'lay' on Inui? OMG. And I'll think about it! xDNot sure tho. Heck I keep forgetting about Amou Nami. xD Thx for the review btw!

**Kuniko No Yume- **Thank you for reviewing~! :DD I'm super glad you liked the chapter as well! *parties* And oh… yeah, I got slightly converted into Yaoi. Not too deeply, but deep enough to add some minor yaoi pairs. XDD

* * *

><p>…<p>

* * *

><p>THANK YOU FOR READING!<p>

I hope you enjoyed, but whatever you thought  
>You'd make me so happy if you tell me of them. :D<p> 


	46. Just For Fun

Thank you for waiting! I hope this chap's worth the wait. So sorry I take so long to update recently but alas! Stuff. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and please don't leave without me knowing your thoughts. :D

**WARNING: **I'm going to be weird and relate this and that to that and that person. Hahaha. Sorry! I just like doing these sort of stuff xD

**Disclaimer: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

* * *

><p>…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XLVI: Just for Fun<strong>

Seigaku was on their way to the bus, and was heading home—the atmosphere of depression and disappointment filled the air surrounding them. Ryoma sighed and looked for a vending machine. It didn't take long for her to find one, and she saw an old man staring at it.

He seemed to still be choosing his drink and Ryoma was already very thirsty so she decided to just go ahead before him. She hastened her pace and went ahead of everyone and quickly chose her drink.

_Clank_

Her hands collided with the old man's by accident and the Oji's coin rolled all the way to the middle of road. She really didn't mind it at first as she still had another cent in her pocket to replace the old man's. But then, in his own shaky way, he turned to the road (looking positively disheartened for his coin).

Again, she just thought that was that. She was even about to give him her second coin when she realized he was moving to follow his coin on the middle of the road. Her eyes widened at this and she quickly grabbed him back.

A huge truck came by and she seriously thought her heart was going to drop. Wait, it _did_. She almost saw an old man die then, after all.

"Are you okay _ossan_?" Oishi immediately ran to them along with the others as they witnessed the whole thing. The old man just made a slight nod and pointed at his money. Oishi sweat-dropped and told him they'll get it once the signal became red.

"Oi! You guys!" Someone from behind them yelled sternly, making them all wince at his tone. He was a tall boy around their age. And he looked very angry at them. "What can you say about yourself? Ganging up on an old man. You should be embarrassed."

A vein appeared above Ryoma's head and she frowned. _'He sure is noisy.'_ She mused irritably. And then he kept blabbering.

"Really… kids nowadays have no respect for their elderly. What can a helpless man do to all of you anyway?"

She sighed, and just heard the others laugh (politely) at him.

Oishi smiled and calmly explained everything, while Ryoma stared at the boy in mild interest. Well… he was certainly in for the embarrassment of his life. The boy's eyes contracted as he sweat buckets. He was blankly staring at one direction in humiliation, and despite Ryoma's slight irritation of the boy she kind of felt sorry for him. After all, he meant no harm.

"GOMENASAIGOMENASAIGOMENASAAAI!"

Most of them sweat-dropped, while others smiled encouragingly at him. But then, to their surprise, he suddenly beamed as if forgetting that he underwent any sort embarrassment. He looked at a corner behind him and yelled, "They're not bad guys after all! Come on out, minna!" And right on cue—several boys came out.

"Saeki!" Fuji exclaimed, opening his eyes and looked directly at a boy. It was a senior with raven hair dyed with white. The guy flinched, and smiled calling him back.

Then it all went quite quickly after that. The boys acted as if they knew the old man—and they apparently did. He was their _coach_, and the boy from earlier was a freshman and a captain. Although Saeki stated that the positioning didn't mean much, they knew that Aoi was something.

Ryoma on the other hand felt a hint of envy. He was a freshman and he was so tall. Her eyes twitched at that thought—her and her height complex. Now that she thought about it—It was probably the Monkey King's fault she developed that in the first place.

She glared at Inui who tilted his head to look at her. There was no way she'd develop romantic feelings for _that guy_. Darned Inui.

And there's the fact that she hadn't gotten back at him yet for making Tezuka worry unnecessarily.

"You must be Echizen-san!" Aoi yelled looking at her up and down, pulling her back to the present. She couldn't help but flinch in annoyance at this. "Want to have a friendly exchange?"

Echizen stared and Aoi shifted his sights to Oishi who shrugged, telling him it was her decision in the end.

"C'mon—what have you got to lose?" He leaned down so their faces were a mere inch a way, and beamed. "Better make the trip worth it, right?"

**…**

They arrived at their destination and adjacent to it was a huge playground made of wood. Apparently, it was Oji's creation and his alone… making it all the more impressive. It was open to the neighbourhood kids, and they got to watch the tennis practice as they played. This helped them get into tennis naturally. The play ground _itself_ too, provided a fun way of training traits needed by a good athlete as well.

Aoi stretched his arms as if he had just returned home. He grinned at Ludwig and the other kids and asked them to play, especially now that they'd have to wait for him and Echizen to get ready. And that the children did—along with Eiji. It was such an adorable sight and their kids didn't seem all that small anymore. Plus, one was European and the other was Chinese so they were very tall compared to the children their age.

Oishi could only smile at the fact that Eiji also got a playmate that was his age.

"Why are you so jumpy?"

"Why do you look like a cat?"

Eiji frowned. "Why do you blow your nose?"

"You were the first one to ask that question!" He yelled. "Why do you ask questions?"

"GAAH!"

The others just chatted, watching the other children play, as they waited for Ryoma, Aoi, and the old man to come out from the warehouse.

But then a girl tripped—holding food for the team and Bane caught her effortlessly. Davide quickly took out his long racket and caught it. It was a cool scene, they all had to admit, but then he just _had_ to make a stupid pun.

"Oh man… he would have been so cool if he kept his mouth shut." Tomoka commented making Sakuno wince at the weirdness of the statement coming from _her_, while Horio scoffed.

"There you go again with your shallowness of liking guys simply because they look good."

"There you go again with your hypocrosy. Mr. I-have-two-years-of-tennis-experience but still suck."

Sakuno tilted her head and whispered in worry. "It's hypocrisy, Tomo-chan."

"Whatever." Tomoka shrugged. "Surely he got my point…"

But she suddenly looked at him smugly, making him even more annoyed. "Maybe he didn't. An idiot will always be an idiot."

"Why you—GRRRRR"

"_Grrrr_—"

"Mou—"

Sakuno was cut off by a hand on hers and she turned immediately. She blushed when she saw that he was kneeling, and didn't know how to react when he _kissed_ her hand. He sent her a rather charming smile.

"Calm down, my lady, let me take you to a more relaxing place than this~" He said with his hair looking as marvellous as always. Kurobane shook his head.

"Oi, Davide. Leave the little girl alone."

Sakuno smiled politely at the two of them. "Ano… I already have a boyfriend."

"Yes, she does." Oishi added from behind, looking quite a bit desperate _not_ to strangle him. His eyes were twitching and a dark aura usually seen in Fuji surrounded him. Fuji chuckled at the unlikely similarity.

Davide blinked and stood up, scratching his head in puzzlement as to why he was suddenly hated so much. He cleared his throat and with a wave of hair, he regained the atmosphere that surrounded him prior.

"Oh. Gomen. I thought the milady was in a malady. " He said coolly, got kicked in the head (again) for his pun. He stood up lazily and looked around for a rebound as if nothing happened.

"I don't have one!" Tomoka yelled and Davide's sweat-dropped. But he can't refuse _now_, now could he? He smiled at her politely with his dashing smile and steam came out of the girl's ears.

"KYAAAAA~!"

"Wha—"

He stepped back instinctively, but it was too late—the hyperactive girl already grabbed his arm in a rather possessive manner. He let out a sigh and decided to just deal with this for now.

Somewhere away from them, Horio 'humphed' and mumbled something about how low and desperate that was and it was annoying. The other two of the F3 shrugged and decided to just listen to his rants.

But then they suddenly felt a strong presence from behind them and they all shivered. It was Inui, and he nonchalantly patted Horio's back.

"Too bad, Horio. Better luck next time."

**…**

Their game started and Aoi muttered about it just being for fun and said it was rude to treat it as match. So to him it made perfect sense to refuse Bane's offer to be umpire.

Ryoma's eye twitched at his confidence but shrugged it off in the end. The boy was incredibly loud, but right now she was in it for the game. She did not go all the way to Chiba to play beach volleyball.

He had magnificent control, she had to admit—begrudgingly because he said something rude like 'You're supposed to be a better player than this, Echizen-kun!' 'I've watched your game in Hyotei.' 'How can I be hyped up when you're playing like this?"

_Che._

They played and she remained hitting from the same spot, making it obvious that she was being controlled. She started to get a bit more serious and the game had totally become a match. He was pretty challenging, and she had to admit that despite his big mouth she was having a great time.

_If only he'd keep quiet…_

"Ne, Echizen-kun." Aoi called upon hitting back a ball. She didn't answer and waited for him to continue.

"I'll be waiting for you at Singles 3, ne?"

…

After the game, they had converged into a big open space and they had to call the children. They made friends, especially Kumi, since the two boys were still pretty stoic. Tomoka was still shamelessly holding Davide's arm. Most of them were chatting quite casually, but Saeki interved out-of-nowhere getting everyone's attention.

He nodded and stared at the members of Seigaku. "I heard what happened today from Fuji." He smiled. "As a hospitable citizen of Chiba. I believe it is our duty to help you out. He shifted his gaze to Davide. "Your uncle owns a villa somewhere around here, right?"

"Well, yes…" Amane muttered, not quite getting where this was going.

Kurobane scratched his cheeks in ponder. "But… I thought your cousin will be here, though?"

Saeki frowned. "Really? Well that's disappointing."

"Why?" Amane asked. "Actually, I think he was planning on staying with his friends in another mansion on a nearby island. Viva la Villas.

"Viva la Villas." He repeated.

_THUMP!_

Saeki ignored them and continued his explanation. "I was planning on asking Davide to get them rooms there so they could stay for a few more days. It _is_ summer vacation and having practice matches with us and having fun in the beach wouldn't hurt."

"Oh… I see…" He muttered after standing up and looked at the girl who can't seem to separate from him. He _really_ would rather not. But he still thought that it was actually a good idea. If only someone would… let this girl go home?

"Tomoka… you're making Amane-kun uncomfortable."

Tomoka pouted and begrudgingly let go. "Gomen nasai…"

"Ah." He nodded, and shifted the conversation back. "So I think the caretaker will agree so long as everyone promises not to break anything."

Everyone beamed at the statement.

"WE PROMISEE!"

"Ara? What's this commotion about?" A tall boy with spiky raven hair (similar to Momo's but with less hair gel), asked eyeing the unfamiliar people with his friends.

"Satoshi~!" The children called fondly and he patted a few heads.

"Shudou." Saeki nodded, and turned his gaze towards their guests. "He's one of our regulars. He'd eat anything."

"What was that about?" The newcomer asked. It was not a usual way to introduce other people.

"Naw. Just curious how he'd fare with one of Inui's drinks."

Inui's glasses shimmered and he held out a small bottle with vile-looking green liquid. "Want to try one, now?"

The Seigaku regulars just paled, but it was too late to stop him. He was already on the ground. "The poison taster fainted!"

"Why? WHY?"

"That means its _poison_!"

The underappreciated Shudou Satoshi would remain unconscious for a long time after that.

…

KANIN CLUB, TOKYO, Later that night

Ryuzaki Sumire browsed the menu as she waited for the colleagues she hadn't seen in years. The first one to come was Akimoto Kumiko, Jun's younger sister. They made a greeting hug, and she proceeded to sit in front of her.

"Sumire…" said the woman with a warm smile, actually missed calling that name. "My condolences. En-kun was a very good man. How are you faring?"

"Yes, he is. Thank you very much. I have two very beautiful granddaughters, now, too so I have to say I'm doing quite nicely." Then Sumire remembered something. "What about your only grandson? I hope he'll be fine soon."

"Oh he will be." She smiled. "The doctors said that chances are he will survive the operation."

"I see… It would also be a pity to lose such a talent in the Japanese tennis scene, too." She paused. "I hope that comment didn't offend."

"I know. He took France by storm and until a year ago, Japan as well. I hope he'll be able to do what he loves best again."

"Indeed."

"Sorry I'm late, ladies."

"Nah, we know you still came from Chiba, Motaro." The old man smiled. He was the oldest amongst them, and he was the also smallest—much to his dismay. He was the final to come.

"Who did you ask to take care of the shop?"

"Nanjiroh, of course."

Sumire scoffed. "I bet he destroyed your precious shop already."

"I know he did. I'll just make him do more work for me." He shrugged. "No way I'm going to accept that money he offers from his earnings as a star. I'd really rather see him working his ass off again."

"Yeah. He had gotten even lazier, especially now that his daughter's grown."

"I haven't seen that child since she was well… a fetus. My grandson's around her age, too, you know."

"Really?"

"He plays too. At Rokkaku."

"Our next opponent?"

"Yes. " He smirked. "Now I'm thinking of how to food poison you."

"Not if I force your stroke to act up first."

And the two coaches laughed boisterously at the empty (were they?) threats—embarrassing the poor Kumiko to no end.

…

AKUTAGAWA VILLA

It was short trip along the mountain side. They had to go deeper and the rocky road made the freshmen trio, along with Kaidoh, feel very dizzy. However, as soon as they trudged past the forest and into the 'light' (it made so much sense in so many senses of the word), they saw the structure and was immediately in awe.

It was a _very_ large and beautifully-designed place. It was so close to the beach, too! They would have so much fun—

"We are here to train, minna!" Kill-joy Oishi announced before anyone got _too_ excited.

"Hai…"

.

The house's theme was very rural, unsurprisingly. It looked like a gigantic cottage, really, and all of them just wanted to relax. And they did. They were allowed too, at least, as they were to start their training early the next morning.

"Waaaa~ Can we stay here too, Davide?" Aoi asked as he marvelled the house. Like most of the team, it was also his first time there, "We need a break from all the training."

"Well, we do have more than enough rooms here Hikaru-sama." The house's caretaker commented, looking at Davide for whatever decision he wished to make. Davide then went to ponder and looked at the vice-captain, Saeki, who just shrugged.

"I don't think one day will bother Oji." The team members brightened at this while one person from Seigaku in particular frowned. It was kill-joy Oishi of course and Sakuno (who was beside him) could only smile awkwardly, finding all of this partly amusing and embarrassing at the same time.

"Ano… I'd hate to be rude, but how will we train if you guys are around playing?" He said and Aoi's beam did not dissipate one bit.

"Well train with you, then!" The freshman yelled, and Momoshiro tilted his head. "How is that a break, then?"

"It'll be fun because there are a lot of us! Plus we'll get to know each other better!"

"You just admitted you were going to spy on us." Ryoma stoically commented from behind them and he blushed (being found out and all). Still, Aoi only puffed his cheek in denial.

"I did _not_."

"Okay, then." Oishi intervened, walking between them. "Let's get started on the accommodations, then?"

**…**

The rooms were large enough to contain at least 3 people and still have ample of personal space. Much to most of their surprise, Ryoma was roomed with Sakuno and Tomoka. But none of the other team members and the F3 really minded in the end. Ryoma looked like a girl, anyway.

Tomoka wouldn't stop squealing and Sakuno had to implore her to keep quiet. And she did, and since the two girls were the ones who were depended on to wake up early, the two decided to put an alarm at 5:30 in the morning. They tried to wake Ryoma up the nice way by the succeeding morning, but she still won't budge.

"Ne, Ryoma-kun, wake up already. You were supposed to start training at 6:00am to maximize the morning sun and breeze, remember?"

"I'm… already…awake…zzz"

_Click!_

That dreaded sound made Ryoma's eyes open abruptly. Sakuno smirked, and Tomoka tilted her head in puzzlement.

"If you don't wake up I'll send these embarrassing pictures of you sleeping to the buchou."

Tomoka blinked, and she winced crazily when Ryoma actually stood up. He yawned and stretched as he sat on his bed. He lazily stood up and headed for the bathr—

"_KYAA!_" Tomoka yelled and Sakuno quickly covered her mouth. Ryoma stared at them.

"Nani?"

Tomoka was shivering and slowly pointed at her back… or more specifically—her _butt. _Ryoma narrowed her eyes and looked behind her. Her eyes widened at the sight.

Blood.

Her period came too early.

Her eyes twitched and she stared at the pale Tomoka, mentally cursed, and then shrugged. Stressing out was not her thing.

"Did anyone bring some extra napkin?"

**…**

After drinking their water, the boys (and Ryoma) went for the jog at the beach. The two girls watched them go before proceeding to help in the kitchen. Tomoko touched her chest.

"I can't believe Ryoma-sama's a girl…" She muttered. Sakuno had to tell her why Ryoma cross-dressed and why she had to keep quiet. Of course, Tomoka obliged, and this made Sakuno proud and relieved.

"I'm sorry. How are you?"

"Shocked. But I still love Ryoma-sama very much." She smiled. "No—not _that_. I mean, she so… strong and admirable. I want to be like her someday…" She paused, eyes never leaving her idol. "…and doesn't she feel any pain? Doesn't she get cramps?"

"She does—a few days a month, too. She just has an incredible tolerance to pain."

"Oh…" she smiled weakly, before raising two fists in the air and yelling. "More heroine points to Ryoma-sama~"

And Sakuno just laughed.

**…**

About an hour later, the team decided to head back and eat. The sun was already starting to become quite hot, thankfully it was still healthy so no one minded.

"Running in the beach under the sun like a man."

_THUMP!_

"Like I said, your puns are not funny!" He almost said 'punny' there. Oh God—

"You say something funny, then."

Kurobane smirked: Challenge accepted.

He looked around. "There aren't any girls here. You. You're the closest one."

Ryoma glowered. "I'm going to punch you."

"Please do." Fuji nodded, while many others shook their head as they jogged.

"Not until we hear his joke!"

Kurobane cleared his throat. "Are your legs tired?"

"No."

"Well, they should be." He smirked. "Because you've been running in my head all day long."

"Ohhh! That was a good one. HAHAH."

"It's so corny I'm gonna die."

"It's so cheesy that it's funny."

"That's a good one too, Kawamura!"

"Bane-sama teach me more!" Momo grinned. Ann would like some of those lines. Oishi's ear twitched, he wanted to make Sakuno laugh with those amusingly cheesy lines.

But several minutes pass on their way, they heard very gruff and loud sounds.

_Brrrooooommm!_

A group of jet skiers invaded a nice area of the sea. They seemed to be having some sort of race—well at least 2 of them were. Some were just driving around… making what they're doing look all the more fun.

"Sugoi!"

"Nya—they look cool!"

"I want to try that!"

They continued they admiring and envious stares until one of them approached. They remained silent in a weird sort of anticipation and most of them lost their footing when they saw _who_ it was.

.

"ATOBE!?"

He shrugged. "I knew your faces were familiar."

Hiyoshi followed and glared at Davide. "You."

"Amane defeated a hundred pre-regulars of Hyotei a while back. Hiyoshi was one of the few stand-outs." Saeki explained, when no one actually asked him, making Hiyoshi glare at him.

"Urusai, old man." Saeki's eyes twitched and Atobe shrugged. He stared at the group, but Ryoma knew he was referring to her.

"Ore-sama is surprised to see you here…"

"Where's Jirou?" Davide asked, oblivious to the exchanged looks from the opposing sides. Atobe shifted his stare at him and, again, shrugged.

"Still asleep. You're staying at his villa?"

"Yeah."

It took a moment for them to absorb the fact that Davide and Jirou were related.

_._

_What?_

Then again, looking at them, and imagining how they were. It actually made sense.

And so, a minute later they were all doing their thing as if they didn't just find out something relatively surprising.

**…**

A few of the jetskis went to shore and, unsurprisingly, got mobbed by the teenage tennis players. Momoshiro and Kaidoh, for example, got into a fight and ended up forgetting what they were fighting for in the first place. By the time Atobe was standing by Ryoma, the two were already a few dozen meters from the shore, having a swimming battle.

"Want to talk?" He asked, musing it was time to stop avoiding her. She would never find out what he did for her boyfriend, anyway. Ryoma stared at him for a moment, probably thinking what changed his mind, but she didn't say anything. She looked in front of her and nodded, and with his lead they started walking to a random direction.

But they didn't get to walk too far before someone stepped in front of them. "Hello Atobe." He said. "Echizen."

Fuji.

"It's fine, Fuji-senpai." Ryoma said, understanding where this was going before anyone could utter another word. She sent him a reassuring smile then, effectively making Atobe's eyes jerk. "Like Inui-senpai said, he's a childhood friend of mine."

"Ah." Fuji said, and watched passively as the two walked past him. _Childhood friends, eh?_

As if that made it any better.

…

Ryoma and Atobe entered a shallow forest near the beach. It was a little elevated so if they moved to certain directions, they could easily see the beach and their teammates playing around. She was the first one to actually speak.

"So mind telling me why you were avoiding me and my calls?"

"I just felt like it." She glared at him, and he added immediately. "Well, your voice isn't exactly music, you know."

She smirked. "I bet you love listening to yourself."

And they just stared at each other for a while. Ryoma was waiting for him to tell her something close to the truth, while Atobe was looking for a way out of it.

"Reina." He sighed. "How was Tezuka? Because he's my rival and all..."

"He's fine. And you already beat him."

"But not in his best condition." He shrugged. "I felt lucky."

To his surprise, she chuckled.

"What?"

"You sounded humble. You even called yourself in a way normal people do."

"Ore-sama is not normal, Reina."

But before she could retort a gust of wind passed by them, almost blowing her wig off, and making the trees around them rustle like crazy. There were a few fruits that dropped around them, and then a leaf even landed on Atobe's head.

Ryoma automatically took it out as if by habit. And she did it by hitting his head.

"Oi!" He exclaimed as he held his head with his palm, pushing down a small blush at the same time. This made him remember something. He was sure it did the same to her.

"Just like old times…" She said. Atobe's hairstyle allowed things like leaves stick on his head. Ryoma always take them out, but then he got taller (darn him). And so she had to hit his whole head to make it all easier, instead.

He was about to say something pompous when she already turned away to walk back to the house. "We should go back. Sakuno and the others must have already finished our breakfast."

Atobe frowned for a moment but he mentally shook his head and went to mess up her hair.

"What was that for?" She asked and he slipped back to his normal awesome self.

"My, my. You sure have gotten smaller, hmmm?" without letting her head go. And his heart skipped a beat when she held his hand on her head.

"Jerk." She spat in annoyance, two fingers moving suspiciously against the back of his hand.

And then pinched it.

.  
><strong>.<strong>

**END OF CHAPTER XLVI**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XLVII: Hype**

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS<strong>

**BurnedSpy **– Thank you for reading! I'm glad that you liked the story and sure! I'll consider writing a fem! Tezuka story. It may take a while tho. xD

**Cheeseball no plural **– I'm curious. Which three book series did you read?! :D And btw, why would you feel like a creep? Because you're called a math whiz? Anyway, thank you for letting me know that you're still here. xD

**BloodyFangKing95 –** Hahahah. Oh yes yes, I know Brooke. That blasted skeleton I love so much! xDD Skulll jookee! "May I see your panties?" OMG. Haha. Thanks for reviewing btw! Glad you liked it xD **(ch1) **HEHEH. What keyboard problem? I didn't notice! Hahah. Anyway, Thanks for the reviews!

**Animelover4ever69 – **yay! Glad you liked the twist. xD Hope I can keep it interesting, and thank you for commenting~! :D

**PurpleScorpion –** Whoa super glad you think that chapter was awesome! And right!? TomokaxHorio. Just imagine what will happen when they share a house. Haha. And nope. Ohtori's boyfriend is Josei's captain. I'm sorry. I paired up random people. HAPPY PRE-WORK VACATION and thank you for reviewing~! :D

**Hope – **Yes indeed! Fem! Tezuka would be sooo badass. Don't worry. I'll write one as soon as my writing muse gives me an idea on a story. xD thanks for reviewing btw! :D

**RyoKei –** Yep~ This is two episodes compressed into one. I'll be showing Tezuka a little more soon, I think. Anyway, soo glad you liked the chapter and thank you for reviewing it! xD Here's the next chap! I hope it's somewhat worth the wait. hehe

**Keileenobiginiyoina –** I'm curious what this name change means. xDD Oh they met him when they went to her house a while back. I update soo long everyone (including me) forget what happens. xD Thank you for reviewing btw and glad you loved it~

**KoreanMusicFan – **Thank you for reviewing~! I'm happy you love the story so far! Hope I can keep it interesting so you'll be around til' the end. :D

**Aladdina Magi – (ch21)** hahah Glad you like that chap! I remember that chap all too well. *hearts* Thanks for reviewing~!

**Yugioh Luva Girl –** Here's the update! Sorry it took so long. I can only hope it's worth the wait. Thank you for the support so far~!

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><p>…<p>

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading folks!<strong>

**Please let me know your thoughts before you leave. :D**


	47. Hype

**Thank you for remaining with me all this time! I hope this was somewhat worth the wait. I hope you enjoy, and do know hearing your thoughts mean so much to me. And so special hugs to my vocal readers! :DD**

**WARNING: **First half will be a 'walthrough' (lol) of the games. The rest, well, will have minimum tennis. xD

**Disclaimer: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

**NOTES: There is one thing I've been hinting a while back. You'll know (I hope) what it is at the second half of the chap. **

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><p>…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XLVII: Hype<strong>

A week had passed since their trip to the beach (beach tans have already dissipated), and the time to battle with Rokaku had finally arrived. Everyone gathered, and Oishi suddenly received a text from Tezuka. Many of the regulars ran to his back.

"Let us not get careless." Eiji read somewhat monotonously (expecting something a little longer), and blinked. "That's it?"

"That's the captain for you." Momoshiro snickered from behind him and looked again. "But the Kanji he used—" He paused and pointed at it, effectively turning everyone's attention to the phone. "He said it like he's here with us!"

"I bet the message was way longer with Echizen, though. Nya~" Eiji half-pouted and half-teased. "Probably about lovey-dovey stuff, though." Ryoma blushed instantaneously, but regained her stoic façade nevertheless. It was somewhat true, but of course she'd in no way confirm their suspicions.

But alas, the team's attention was currently on her. So she opted for a little misdirection. Oishi shivered a little just before she turned to him to speak. "Ne, Oishi-senpai." Ryoma mumbled monotonously, and eyed Sakuno (who winced like the fukubuchou). "Tell her that pick up line Kurobane thought you."

"Kurobane?" Sakuno voiced out knowing precisely who he was, and—_Pick up lines?_ She mused a tad anxiously. _What could he be putting in Oishi-senpai's head?_

But when she saw Oishi blush, which Sakuno thought was very cute, she thought that maybe she'd hear it, after all.

"Maybe later…" Oishi muttered and scratched his cheeks in embarrassment. Eiji slapped his back encouragingly every 2 seconds, while Momoshiro whistled. In all honestly, Ryoma kind of felt sorry for them… and maybe a bit guilty for pushing them in there in the first place. But sadly sacrifices must be made.

And so…, after a few more slaps on the back Oishi, being the guy that he was, eventually agreed. Eiji grinned and pushed him gently to Sakuno who only stood still half-a-meter away from him. Under the girl's stare, and the attack of nerves that was currently making him feel wobbly, he could only clear his throat and stare back for a while.

"Ano… Saku—Ryuzaki."

"Stop it with the formalities already! Nya~"

Oishi ignored him and just gazed at his cute girlfriend. "Are you a pimple?"

"Eh?"

"Because when I try to take you away from my head, it hurts."

"KYAAAAAAAAAA!"

They all turned to whoever squealed. It was, apparently, Shiba who just arrived with some of the freshmen to greet them when the little moment unravelled. Tomoka had her mouth covered and slapping Katsuo's back crazily as she held back her squeals. She expected it, after all, and she _thought_ she was ready.

"Anyway, shall we go to the game now?" Ryoma intervened, not particularly showing her amusement to those who didn't know her very well. But then she turned her sights to Oishi again, who feared for yet another set of humiliating stunts. Ryoma grinned.

"Better wash all that blush away though first, Oi-shi-sen-pai~"

**…**

Doubles two was the Kawamura-Momo pair versus Kurobane-Amane pair. It was undoubtedly a power game, and they thought they would not lose. But they did—5 games in a row. With Amane's long racket absorbing their power and Kurobane's high level techniques, muscle control, and raw power they were losing badly. Even when they 'trained' with this team, they had no idea they were _this_ strong.

The coach though, for a while, thought that they were _too _bent up on doing a power-battle but it turned out to be a good thing. Momoshiro and Kawamura were also forced to use their teamwork to the maximum, letting Momoshiro get a calm mind—effectively showing off his hidden potential of insight. It was a powerful innate ability of predicting opponent's actions by their expression and movement. Something masked for the longest time by his passion and hot-headedness.

"Eh… how ironic that the idiotic Momochan-senpai could actually have such type of insight."

"Speak for yourself, Echizen." Fuji smiled. "When it comes to paradoxes, you're a great example too." She glared at him and pushed down her blush. They knew all too well what Fuji meant from personal experience, after all.

They won doubles two with the momentum they got from Momo's mind games, and was stamped by Kawamura's Dash Hadokyuu. The opponent team was worried of its reappearance when, actually, Kawamura could only use it once. They'd be a bit bitter about that for a while.

The game that followed was Fuji-Kikumaru vs Saeki-Itsuki team; it was the first time most of them saw their pairing and they were quite excited. But as the game progressed, most of the viewers thought that Fuji and Eiji didn't have any team work at all.

But the regulars knew better. Those two both have such unique play styles that when together they focused on individual's strengths.

And because they were skilled at what they do—focusing on individual play wasn't necessarily a bad thing. They didn't follow each other's movements like normal pairs simply because they didn't have to.

After sacrificing 3 games, Saeki soon showed his uncanny ability to predict movements by habits. Ryoma tried and guessed correctly once, but Eiji was too far for her to see anything fundamental. Eiji's acrobatic play was sealed for several minutes, but he defeated it by dashing to one direction and going to the next at the duration of the ball's approach. It was an almost impossible feat and it amazed everyone.

But it took too much energy, and it became very apparent during the time-out. The then-worried Momo blinked when someone patted his back.

"Yoh!" It was Ann, and he grinned, giving her a high five. "My team's game is tomorrow."

"I see." He smirked and the remembered something—suddenly wearing a sly face that made Ann wince.

"Ne, Ann."

"H-Hm?"

"You know… if I could arrange the alphabet I'll put U and I together."

She laughed and he grinned. "That was so cheesy that it actually works!"

"I know, right?"

And they made another high-five.

A couple of minutes later he'd be sending high five to his senpais.

Because they won the game, of course.

**…**

The next game was finally the battle between Echizen and Aoi—the game changer. A game that would decided if they win.

He was so bloody noisy, Ryoma thought, incessantly telling her to get pumped up—even complimenting every single good shot that she made as if it was something of an event.

Wasn't it obvious that she, a very stubborn individual, would try harder _not_ to get pumped up? Or at least not to show it. To make everything worse, the game was certainly getting harder by the minute.

"Getting hyped up isn't uncool at all! Please show more of yourself, Echizen!"

'_Hell I will.'_ She mused irritably. He was a stranger, a person she barely knew, and she practically _never_ showed most of her own teammates what she really felt let alone him. So like hell she will.

The battle went on, and like the practice game she got cornered by his unbelievable control. But did he have _this_ much before? No. Her eyes narrowed—It must be his hexagonal racket, distributing the torque enhancing her opponent's already obvious talent.

Then, a moment later she was completely in his pace. And then he defeated her Drive B, and this both irritated and excited her. But, as usual, she never showed it. The game went on for a bit longer until she finally got the key to beating him. That was: destroying his pace. And she soon managed to succeed in that evening up the game.

Countless deuce and smashes came after, but neither lost a several points in a row. It was an even game, and as the hours passed she just got more intense—she barely even noticed she was sweating buckets. She could tell that her excitement was slowly showing, but at the moment she just wanted to play the game.

"Game, Aoi, 4 games all!" The umpire announced and they went in for a breather. She ignored the darkening skies and took a ball from her pocket. She was going to finish this game now and she will_ win_—

"Wait!" The judge yelled sternly and called the coaches. For a moment she wanted to ignore them and when Aoi and her eyes met she could tell he wanted her to do the same. Unfortunately, the coaches already called them and there was nothing they could do.

It was announced that the game will resume the next day at 9:00am.

Great. Not only will all these tension stay uncomfortably within them for several hours, they will miss Fudomine's game with Seichi's team as well.

The hours after were a daze. She had to admit it was such a fun game. She wanted to continue it. She was thankful Fuji remained quiet as he walked her home. She could feel his gapes, but he did not ask questions. She will have to apologize to him the next day.

And as soon as she returned home, she locked herself up in her room and tried to calm herself down but it was no use. She sent a quick e-mail to Tezuka, and went down to challenge her father for a fight.

Darn it.

She was still too hyped up that she woke up _too_ early that morning. She went down for a drink of milk, and then gave some to Karupin. She opened her computer to see Tezuka had replied. She blinked.

"What's wrong?"

She smiled. He didn't change at all. He could still sense her troubles with just the plain messages that she sent. She let out a deep breath and replied,

"Had a good game. But it lasted for 3 hours and got cut."

"Who?" He replied and Reina stirred at the fact that he's online.

"The captain of Rokkaku. Freshman."

"You are awake because of this."

"Yes."

She could almost hear his nonchalant 'hmn'. "Continue playing with your all." It made her pause. Because somehow she read something else. _I wish I could play with all I have again._

That's right. Since Tezuka left she had been even more reluctant, hadn't she? She thought she'd be more enthusiastic to surprise him when he got back, but apparently the opposite was true. Tezuka must be disappointed at her.

She'd have to thank that Aoi Kentaro, after all.

...

The sun was still sleeping when she headed towards the courts where she played that match. She could no longer wait and if she'll do anything, she'll probably just stand there. She did get lost, though, and she arrived when dawn neared.

But to her slight surprise, Aoi had the same thoughts as her. He grinned upon entering the courts.

Aoi put the racket to his shoulders and looked at his opponent.

"Want to start early?" He asked excitedly. It was his first time to have such a great game; he wanted it to continue as soon as possible. He felt his heart skip a beat when Echizen made a slight smirk and agreed.

…

A few hours later and Ryoma heard faint murmurs and giggles around her. She was still half asleep, and she also felt she was being shaken awake. But what _really_ woke her up was—

"Did anyone bring in a camera? It'd be amusing to let Tezu-"

Ryoma sat up and glared at Fuji. "You won't dare." It was true. She realized a nanosecond after the threat, that she fell asleep on the grass after the game with Aoi Kentaro. Of course, it was just they were both extremely tired but she would _hate_ to see Kunimitsu in a similar situation, so she was determined not to do the same to him.

She washed her face and she accidentally saw Aoi bowing apologetically to his team. He caught her glimpse and he grinned making a thumbs up, surprising her. When they left, she found a small smirk on her face.

He was willing to do that again with her. With no regrets, too.

**…**

The game resumed and it was just as heated—and unfortunately as time consuming—as the previous game. Hours pass by yet again, each showing off their capabilities, mental strength, and technique without noticing how long the game was actually taking.

It ended with her enhanced Drive B, effectively getting them to the finals.

"Waah! That was a great game!" Aoi exclaimed and smiled at the crying children. He laughed when the children of Seigaku went to them and challenged them. For such young children they sure did know how to make people feel better. Aoi grinned and gestured sprint to Echizen, who was drinking Ponta, as his back rest on a tree behind his teammates.

'_He sure does like Ponta.' _He mused recalling the cans he bought before falling asleep. He looked like an angel when he's just asle—

He quickly shook his head and continued his sprint. "Ne, Echizen!"

"*Cough* Nani?" Aoi smirked at the fact that he surprised the stoic Echizen. Aoi always knew he was so much more emotional on the inside, and that was why he had been especially noisy around her. He had always been loud, of course, but somehow he wanted her to reply to him without that all the hindering she kept doing.

And then he wondered how many people had seen the Echizen Ryoma's inside. "Let's play again sometime!"

"I don't want to play with you anymore."

"EH!? Why not? You want to play now?"

"Aoi, Echizen… both teams are gathering now." Fuji intervened and Aoi flinched a little for reasons unknown. His eyes twitched when Fuji raised his hand and led Echizen to the group by holding his shoulders. They seemed to be very close… but then that was to be expected, right? They're teammates after all.

"We've decided not to freeload at the Kawamura Sushi Shop today." Oishi announced. Apparently a few of the people on both teams had discussed something.

"So… as a celebration not only for us winning. But as reaching the Nationals in general, and so Rokakku will join us for a little party."

"We decided it will be a barbeque party that will be held at an open area in this park." He smiled. "Everyone agreed?"

"AGREED!"

…

Echizen Ryoma let out a deep breath as she held a paper bag and two plastic bags full of food supply. Aoi had mostly the same, holding 3 plastic bags. The final unfortunate one was Shudou. Shudou was holding quite a bit, too, and it was annoying that his screen time was _now_ and not during the games. Who assigned him to Singles 1, anyway? He had bad luck with draw lots.

He could remember the events very clearly. It was Saeki's face that was in the first scene of his very good quality flashback.

"_Now, we have approximately a little over two hours before 12:30pm," said Saeki in that usual captain-like tone of his, despite being the fukubuchou. "Hopefully we are already eating by then! So now for the draw lots." _

"_Draw lots?"_

"_Yes. Kawamura, Momoshiro, the coaches, the freshmen (except Echizen) and I will be the one preparing and cooking so we won't have to." He said, and before Ryoma could ask why Oishi already cut her off. "We'll be cooking. So no, Echizen, you can't be exempted."_

"_Che."_

_Oishi let out popsicle sticks and his hands were covering the bottom part, which was colored in beforehand. Inui was just that quick. Where he actually got the paint, nobody will ever know. _

"_Okay. The three people to get the blue stick will be coming with Eiji to get their portable barbeque." Oishi paused to clear his throat. Something about the pigtailed girl looking at him. "Another three who gets the red strings will be shopping at the grocery stores for the things on the list Taka-san is making at the moment. The rest will stay here and help prepare."_

_Everyone nodded and held up their hands. _

"_So… one two… _pick_!"_

And so there they were. It took them a full hour to get the things that was supposed to have taken them half the time. Seriously, though, how could a person get to the meat section when he's supposed to be on the other side of the store?

"You should have at least informed us that you have a bad sense of direction."

"I didn't know I'd get lost." Echizen shrugged and looked at Shudou. "How's your stomach, Poison Taster?"

"Shudou." He corrected and nodded politely at her. "I'm fine. Hopefully Inui-san doesn't serve us that type of drink."

Then it hit them. "Anyone bought the sodas?"

"I did. But who's assigned for the cups?"

"It wasn't listed."

"Do you think they just have it there?"

"Maybe Taka-san just forgot…"

"I think we should buy one anyway, just in case…"

"But it's so far and these things are so heavy." Aoi pouted and Ryoma pointed at a small shop.

"It should be available in small shops like that one." Echizen stated. "Shall we?"

"We've taken enough time though, I think one of us should proceed to the rest for the basic supply."

"It'll be either one of us Satoshi-kun. Echizen will get there by dusk." Echizen glared at him.

"I'll be going, then." Shudou smirked and took the plastic bags from them. He was strong and he easily gripped every single plastic bag while the other two held the paper containers.

They looked at each other in understanding. And Aoi grinned, raising his hand excitedly.

"Leeeeeeeeet's goo…!"

Ryoma made sure they were walking at least a meter apart after that.

**…**

RANDOM CONVENIENCE STORE  
><span>_A few minutes later _

They opened the glass door hearing a nice bell sound that greeted their entrance. The clerk nodded politely and returned to his accounting duties. It was an average-looking store with just the basic things that people needed. They were lucky that there were plastic cups there, too.

She looked around and saw that there were only two random people shopping with them at the time. But just as they got what they needed the bell chimed again. Her eyes went to look at it by random, but what she was caught her off guard (Mitsu would disapprove).

Two masked guys and a glint of metal just below them told her they were carrying _guns_.

"Ei." She whispered at Aoi, but he only looked at her and waited for her to say something. A second later, she found that she didn't have to.

"**Everyone raise your hands!" **

And everyone reluctantly did as they were told, majority of the customers pale and sweating. There were other four people other than them, Ryoma saw, and she proceeded to assessing their captors.

She found that actually seeing a guy with stocking or an odd bonnet on his head particularly gristly. They looked around and took out their guns, but they were positioned in a way that the people can't see them from the small glass on the door: the only key to their visibility outside.

She frowned. What kind of idiots holdup such a small shop in _broad daylight_? Sure, they put down the curtains and ensured the clerk didn't push the emergency button—Okay, it was not all that idiotic. The police would be lax at this time of day, after all. But still… why _this_ shop? It shouldn't have much.

She winced immediately when one of the men pointed the gun at them and then to the other two costumers. She willed herself to stay cool and composed. She concluded she especially had to, now that she had such a loud-mouth as a companion. But then she remembered the first time they met and she changed her mind immediately. She was proven correct when she took a glimpse of him, looking quite serious… probably rummaging for a way for justice to win.

One of the men yelled, but not too loud for the people outside to hear. "Go to where we could see you!"

"Hai…" So they, along with the clerk and other two costumers, had their backs against the fridges. Their hands were tied in front and they were forced to take an Indian seat. She looked at the camera.

It wasn't working. Stupid. She heard about this before—shops turning it off to conserve money and such. But then again, even if it was working, the only thing it would probably catch was how the men will get away… as well as their humiliatingly helpless states.

She was cut from her thoughts by Aoi slowly moving (dragging) his butt to a rack. She knew that with their accuracy, they could throw something small but heavy to them. Hit at the right spot, and they should be free. But there was one problem…

They were tied up.

She looked at the men in the cashier warily, they had their backs on them for a moment and if they catch Aoi… well, hopefully, if they're content with the money from the shop then they shouldn't go to murder. But one could never be sure.

As one man took the money, another one rummaged around. Ryoma knew they were looking for something, and eventually she head a small thump from within the counter.

She saw a bag of sorts, and she immediately looked at the terrified Cashier. He wasn't _this_ scared before. They found something that he specifically didn't want to. She moved her head slightly and saw powder much like flour.

But her eyes were too good to let miss the minute difference in color. And she knew what it was.

It was Methamphetamine—also known as _shabu_.

The camera wasn't working because of budget cuts, after all.

She remembered it well. The first time she saw this _was in a dark warehouse-in a cage. _That's right… that was the time she was kidnapped for ransom. It was odd they weren't _that_ rich, after all. Her kidnappers had been playing poker, their ugly smug faces in the scene the whole time. Sadistic amusement showed every now and then. The men had a weird substance beside them. She distinctly recalled a young teenager going there to buy that stuff.

And during one of the many days she spent with these men, she saw what the substance could do. It was man, Caucasian, an ally of theirs, who begged for it. He was being punished for an act of stupidity and he was begging to get a taste – just a lick of the substance and he went insane when the other men refused.

For a moment, their eyes met.

His orbs were filled with insanity.

"UGH!" She yelled involuntarily at a sudden jolt of pain on her head and the other two people turned to them in full guard. Her eyes twitched at the moment of weakness. Aoi only had his mouth open in surprise.

"What?" One of the men asked. She looked at them, trying to appear as sharp as she should.

"My head hurts."

"Like hell we care—now shut up, or else I shoot you if you do anything surprising again." She did as she was told because she wasn't planning on saying anything anyway, at the same time ignoring the sudden images in her head and buried it once again. She'll get back to them later—

"Are you alright?" Aoi asked leaning down to her. "You squealed like a girl."

"Well that was very rude." She shrugged, masking her state. She stared at the rack Aoi was targeting earlier. "Have you thought of a way to get them?"

"Not yet."

She looked at him determinedly, making him flinch.

"I do."

**…**

As soon as the men had their backs on them again, she asked Aoi to hold his hand out and she used her flexible fingers to try and untie him. She could feel Aoi's nervous breathe above her head but she assumed it was because of the masked idiots.

Aoi, on the other hand, knew the truth. He felt a strange attraction to the boy since before, albeit it was mostly friendly. But after their game it turned to somewhat of an admiration… and now that they were so close… he could see so closely how beautiful he was.

_What a rude thought…_

He flinched when he saw his eyes widen in delight, and he looked at the rope.

She was really good with these things and was _so_ close to getting it lose—

"OI!" The man shouted and grabbed her hair. And for a moment his heart stopped. The man seemed strong enough to lift him up just by his hair too, and he stood up immediately.

But then he saw Ryoma's hair get pulled…

Pulled away from her head, that was.

_What?_

Echizen immediately escaped from the man's grasp – letting her (real) hair flounder downwards to her shoulder—and kicked the man at the crotch. The man let go of her wig in pain and immediately went to touch that area. She immediately ran to below him as a shield to the other's attempt on shooting her. The man was grazed on the arm and the other cursed.

The gun was once again pointed at her face—and his mind went blank.

_**THUMP!**_

The other man lay under him and Aoi gave him at least a dozen head-butts… even _after_ he fainted. His anger seemed to have clouded his sights for a while. An instant later he heard another huge thump behind the counter, too, and saw that somehow h-_she_ managed to take the other man down.

Aoi's rope loosened up even more, and for a moment of surprise at the bags of substance, he pressed the red button calling the police there.

Things came flying afterwards. The other two thanked them greatly, the clerk and the men were brought in for the crime and possession of drugs, and she (after getting her wig back to her head) implored the policemen not to publicize the events. They could eitherget all the credit and let Aoi in, too—just let her out of the news. They agreed when she described who her father and brother was—considering how… insane they had become when they thought she was kidnapped again all those months ago when she was just late for lunch.

Aoi agreed on taking credit, and on their way back he asked. "Don't you want your parents to be proud of you?"

She smiled. "They already are."

And there was no need to worry them, either.

He halted his steps and Ryoma tilted her head in puzzlement. A moment of silence passed and Aoi scratched his cheeks in embarrassment.

"I still can't believe you're a girl." He blushed and she glared at him.

"What was that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing." He looked away, and then turned again to ask her why she cross-dressed. She told him everything, as well as who already knew. She told him he could tell his teammates if he wanted to, they were trust-worthy people anyway. But to her surprise—he refused.

"It's not that I like keeping things from my friends." He smiled and looked up the sky.

"It's just the fewer the people who knew the better right?" He grinned, before blushing again. He was making weird expressions that made Ryoma sigh.

"Besides…" he muttered, scratching his cheeks. "Having this secret between us just made us closer!"

She blinked, but decided to ignore that ogling grin of his until they reached the picnic area. They saw that everyone was in position… with **no** lack of plastic cups. Their eyes jerked simultaneously.

They wasted precious money to buy unneeded utensils.

Darn it.

Well, at least the issue with the thieves was interesting.

.

.

**END OF CHAPTER XLVII**

_**Coming Soon:  
><strong>_**CHAPTER XLVIII: Defeat**

**REPLIES TO ANGELS**

**The Monochrome Illusion – **Thank you for reviewing, and saying that you love the story. So sorry I take so long! Hope you liked this one, as well. :D

**BurnedSpy **– Awww that's so sweet. xD I'm glad you like my writing style so far~! And yep! Hopefully I'll be able to actually write one when our fandom energizes again. Thank you for reviewing! :D

**Yugioh Luva Girl –** hehe. Thank you for reviewing~! I'm glad you found it adorable. xD Hope this one's entertaining enough as well~!

**BloodyFangKing95 - ***cackles* well, glad I made you laugh. xD Hope this chap, too, is entertaining and glad you liked the last one! Thx for reviewing~

**MangaCzarina –** Huehuehue. Oh YES. Oh yes she will so make it hurt. xD And thank you for reading and reviewing~! I hope you liked this chap, too!

**Hope –** Me too! I miss writing him soo very much. I hope I write the moments decently when the time comes, but right now I do hope TEzuka-less chaps are nice enough~ xD Thx for reviewing!

**Guest [Sept 12 2014] – **lololol. IKR. Me too! It was one of the reasons I went ahead and wrote 'Preservation'. Rikkai has its own charms. xD anyway, thank you for reviewing~

**The girl from back then** – Whoa that's awesome! But first thank you for giving the story a chance in the first place. xD I sure do hope I don't change your mind as the story goes on. xD

**Blueberryxn – **Oh don't apologize! I'm just glad we still get to hang out like we used to. xD I'm sorry too for taking ages to update! Hope you still like the story from now~ haha

**AngieYuzuki – **Thank you for reviewing~! I'm glad the straight reading is worth it! And I'll do my best to retain that. xD And sure I'll consider writing an AtobexRyoma pair. Will take me ages tho. xD

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><p>…<p>

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><p><strong>Thank you for reviewing!<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed.**

**But whatever you thought, do give me the pleasure  
>of knowing your thoughts. <strong>


	48. UNCERTAINTIES

**WARNING:** I've skipped quite a few episodes here. Hahah. Most of them are filler though, so yeah. That said, this is somewhat a filler between Rokakku's defeat and _Fudomine's_ (via Rikkai). Forgive me if many parts seems annoyingly dense, but I did my best given the time I have. xD

**DISCLAIMER: **I WISH I own Prince of Tennis

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><p>…<p>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER XLVIII: UNCERTAINTIES<strong>

That afternoon was characterized by cool breeze, clear skies, and an ideal amount of humidity. They were especially thankful it wasn't scorching hot, particularly due to global warming, so they could enjoy their basking under the sun as they ate—the two teams and their supporters huddled at an area of the picnic grounds, laughing or chewing (and both at the same time).

Funny, really, a celebratory picnic of Seigaku with the team that they beat. It wasn't awkward at all however, as Rokakky might as well be the most sportsman team in existence. _No use mingling over the past in a bitter way, anyhow_, Aoi would say with that characteristic grin on his face, and they'd be eating like monkeys again.

To outsiders, they seemed like a huge family having their weekly bonding times—with the little children (this meant Eiji and Aoi included) running around the open field, most of the older ones were watching and chatting merrily, and a few carnivores ate like they've never eaten before.

However, to the befuddlement of many, Momoshiro was _texting_ instead of eating like there was no tomorrow like he usually did. Ryoma, who had been stealing stares for exactly twice now, swallowed her fried chicken before speaking. "What are you waiting for, Momochan-senpai?"

"Ann," came his blank answer, not taking his eyes away from his phone. "She still hadn't answered. I invited Fudomine to join us."

"That's not good, Momoshiro." Fuji commented, just as he ate his wasabi sushi. "To be so clingy, that is."

Momoshiro's face turned into a tomato and his eyebrows furrowed, defensive. "Geez. I'm _not_ being clingy! I-I-I'm just worried." Fuji shrugged at continued on eating his food, silently teasing Ryoma if she wanted one as well.

Momoshiro shook his head and returned his attention to his phone, as if staring at it so intently will alert Ann that _she should seriously reply to his texts now_ and—right on cue—the sound of Ann's voice saying "_Momoshiro" _in an almost seductive manner, accompanied by a major vibration, caught his attention. He really did not notice how odd and tease-worthy his ring tone was to the eyes of his friends.

"She replied!" he yelled and quickly read the message. Fuji turned his head to Ryoma, holding up his phone. "What is it Fuji-senpai?" but Fuji only smiled and put down his phone, clicking a few buttons as she gaped at him. "Thanks," he said and he pressed a button, apparently playing a recording. "_Fuji-senpai" _it sounded, and her eyes twitched immediately in understanding.

"Please tell me you're not going to use that as a ring tone." "Okay. 'I am not going to use that as a ring tone'." "You just lied, didn't you?" He smiled in response. "You know me well."

Knowing that her dignity was already lost, Ryoma sighed and turned her head back to look at Momoshiro who, to her surprise, was already wearing facial expression that got darker as he read, and immediately held the phone up his ears a second later. "Hello? _Ann_." He asked, looking uncharacteristically anxious. "What happened?" "What? I see…" Then he smiled weakly as if to give encouragements to the person on the other end. "Well we're here with Rokkaku, and _they _lost. We're celebrating reaching the nationals." Momoshiro was silent afterwards, intently listening to each and every of Ann's words. Eventually, the call neared its end, but Momoshiro only looked more depressed. "Ah. I understand. We'll be waiting." And closed his phone with a deep sigh.

"What happened?" Oishi asked as the rest stared, and at this time the 'kids' running around already noticed the tension and were on their way back. Momo took his time to answer. "Only Ann-chan will come here, the others are apparently 'too depressed to show themselves to us'." He paused, scratching the back of his head. "They appeared to have lost to Rikkaidai—_badly_."

"How bad?"

"I didn't ask."

"They should really just man-up—!" Ryoma yelped as Aoi suddenly jumped to her back. "What the hell?"

"Why the long faces, everyone?" He asked, he had just arrived from playing tag and he had no idea why they all looked so anxious. It was Fuji who answered, and Aoi would've listened to every single word if the tensai wasn't sending him virtual daggers.

"We were talking about Fudomine's lost." He said, cerulean eyes revealed for Aoi to see. "We are particularly close to that team, not that we're not close to Rokakku—but aren't you acting too close with our freshman?"

"No. We have become quite close since we shopped together, ne?" Ryoma rolled her eyes at this, but otherwise ignored him and resumed eating. "Whatever," she mumbled and allowed the wonderful taste of fried chicken melt in her mouth.

Aoi pouted a little as he stared at her. "Echizen~" He called, right beside her ears, making her frown deeply. "You're too loud." She told him bluntly and he apologized. "Gomen." He said, reducing his volume—but it was _still_ loud. "I'm hungry. Feed me."

Her eyes twitched. Echizen Ryoma simply did _not_ get ordered around like that. However, before she could headbutt him (or something just as painful) her eyes caught chopsticks heading towards her direction. "Here you go...," someone else offered and she felt Aoi wince at her back. She blinked and saw Fuji extending his chopsticks to Aoi's mouth, in a way he could barely see what it was, and Aoi instinctively opened his mouth to eat it.

It was Wasabi Sushi.

And everyone burst out laughing at his face.

"Geez—fhow _mwean!_" He cried after drinking a liter of fresh water.

"What? I was very jealous."

The fact that Rokakku stared ogling _her_ did not help her mood. "So there rumors were true…" Saeki said, with most of his team mates watching with interest. Her eyebrow rose as she crossed her arms, slowly becoming even more annoyed. "What rumours?"

"That Fuji's gay." Inui answered in Saeki's stead. The Rokakku members looked at Fuji and Ryoma alternatively, and assumed things. Aoi, on the other hand, just looked at Ryoma in confusion.

"Eh?" he uttered and he felt Fuji's suddenly intensifying death glare. He knew she's a girl, after all, and he knew her teammates knew the same thing. Slowly, it dawned to him. "Ohh…" was all he could actually say. He could not explain the disappointment he felt. As a friend, why should he mind anyway?

_Ah,_ that's right, they were _friends_. And at the thought, his back straightened a little, and his hand finding its way on Ryoma's head. "But we're just friends, anyway." He voiced out for the nth time that day, before sitting beside her and grinning. "Stop being so possessive Fuji-san."

Many of the regulars paled. This boy had no idea Fuji had sadistic tendencies. Well they forgot about it, too, since it didn't show for quite some time… but now that they had recalled several scenes in the past—well, they just felt bad for the vertically-blessed freshman.

But thankfully before the situation got any more serious, they sensed someone approaching. It was Tachibana Ann, smiling weakly. She sat beside them, and the girls and Momo offered her food but she politely refused. They gave her a moment to compose herself, and waited for her to speak.

And so their nice little day had suddenly filled with slight anxiety as Ann described the difference in their level compared to their opponent's. But a recording was not yet available, so they weren't able to see it firsthand. Due to that, the effect to them was much less, and some even believed (or hoped) that maybe Ann's memory had exaggerated what she remembered due to shock.

Soon enough the food was all gone signalling for the picnic's end. Rokkaku was heading back to Chiba, it seemed, and Seigaku saw them to their bus. Slowly the kids (after heart-felt goodbyes to the Little Trio and Eiji), went up and were followed by the regulars. The last one in was Aoi, and before he went in he ran to the team and bear-hugged Ryoma out-of-nowhere. Again.

"O-OI." She muttered as she was effortlessly held up, making everyone who saw gasp. "What are you doing?"

"We're not going to see each other until the nationals so might as well say goodbye in a way you'll remember right?" he grinned and let her down. He pushed down his blush and waved casually as he ran to his bus.

"Ja ne~!"

**…**

That night, Reina and Fuji walked in semi-comfortable silence until they reached the foot of the stairs. But before they parted, Reina apologized for her dazed state the previous night. Fuji smiled and stated he knew how 'hyped' she must have been, so the game getting cut like that was very disturbing.

But then his expression changed abruptly, "Since when did he know you're a girl?"

Her feet stopped and she whipped her head to look at him. "How'd y—"

"Well, he _did_ hug you." Fuji said, nonchalantly staring down (his face was immediately met with a light smack). "Hentai."

"Saa…" He cleared his throat. "But you really have to learn to be more guarded around boys, you know." Ryoma shrugged at this. "I was. Besides, I'm sure he's like that with everyone."

"Maybe so… but," he uttered and held her chin up to make her see his deep blue orbs. "It still bothers us who looks at you differently." He looked at her in a way that would've made any girl blush. But she was not any girl. "You're being very cheesy again, senpai."

"Well, you could say we were all in the mood for it after Kurobane's pick-up lines." He shrugged. "Besides, I doubt Tezuka would like seeing all those hugs."

She stared at him and he chuckled. "No one took pictures," he told her and her shoulders slumped a little, a bit more relaxed. "Thanks," she breathed out and headed to the house, making a polite farewell to Fuji.

As she climbed up the stairs she allowed herself to wonder about something she put at the back of her head: Her kidnapping. She refused to think about them in public, unsure of what she might show. For all those years, she thought nothing happened—that she was simply born with her abnormal sense of direction, and all those unanswered questions would remain that way. But now she knew that she had witnessed unpleasant events and her brain repressed the memories to the back of her head. She wondered if there were more…

Shaking away the thoughts once more, she let out a deep breath, and opened the door. "I'm Home."

"Welcome home." Rinko yelled back. For a moment Reina thought about asking her parents, but went against it. There was no use letting them live through that again. So she gave her mum a short hug, that surprised the woman, and she proceeded to her room..., and stared at the ceiling until she fell asleep.

Well, at least after she sent her email to Tezuka.

**…**

GERMANY

Tezuka watched his fellow patients play tennis with a habitually-masked interest. The most interesting sights were how several of the players played in their wheelchairs. "Want to play, too, Tezuka?" someone from behind him asked and he turned his head to face her. It was a tall Caucasian woman as tall as he was, she was wearing a congenial and knowing look on her face.

"Doctor," was all he said, and it was enough because he really did want to play. It had been quite a progress and the institution certainly deserved its name. It had great technique, facilities, and technology. And judging by what they charged, one cannot expect any less. "I am sure I will be able to very soon."

"You know we don't prohibit light rallies, not in your current status." She told him, as if reminding him. "I know, Doctor. But I'd rather be able to play with all my might sooner." She smiled at this. "Your self-control is very admirable, especially for one so young."

He nodded at the compliment, quickly pushing Reina's face to the back of his thoughts before it showed on his face, and they turn their heads to one of the players in the wheelchair, manoeuvring himself towards them. His face was as red as his hair, and he approached them in glee. "Did you see my winning shot?"

The two nodded. "That lob was almost at the same level as the ones you did before." The doctor said with a shy smile. "That means I'll be able to propose to you very soon, _doctor_." The doctor cleared her throat to push down her blush, a technique Tezuka used himself quite often. Once more, Tezuka had to push Reina's face away again, fearing he'd be in need to employ the same techniques too soon.

"I'll excuse myself now," the doctor told them, after what was apparently a lovers' banter, which Tezuka was thankful he was in a daze for. Kurt watched his girlfriend walk away, before the former pro shifted his attention to him. "I've looked into the database." He told him, whispering, and Tezuka leaned down a little with a nod.

He had, after all, wondered why inside this grand and very expensive institution _he_ didn't have to pay a single cent. Kurt, who finished computer sciences before entering the professional scene, decided to help him. Apparently, Kurt owed him a favour for informing him of one of the doctor's absent-minded muses of wishing to see sun flowers (which Tezuka accidentally overheard). Tezuka did not ask further about that, but he was thankful for the health.

"Apparently, your benefactors had special connections with the institution's board of trustees." Kurt told him, tone obviously impressed. "I didn't know you were so close with the Atobe family."

**...**

Tezuka decided to answer his emails before he contacted Atobe, primarily because he thought that the stress from calling the heir would make him forget about everything else. Furthermore, a fleeting thought passed by..., telling him if it was finally time to call Reina... but he almost just as quickly went against it.

He had already called every member of his family, Oishi, and the coach. His mother _was_ quite an anxious person as well when he was not with her, and his grandfather demanded he remain contact… especially since he didn't go visit him the last time he was expected there. But not once had he called Reina.

He wanted to hear her voice every single minute (was this what people call love sickness? What a sappy term...) but he was almost certain that if he heard her voice _now_, when he was still getting used to the environment _without_ her, then he might as well get a ticket back to Japan. The blankness of texts in comparison to one's actual speech provided the necessary gap between them to keep his impulses controllable.

He browsed his mail box and a small smile immediately graced his face. He read the email slowly, imagining her voice telling him these things herself. She said something about a picnic and Rikkaidai being extremely strong. He read Oishi's anxious email as well. And by the looks of it and his knowledge of Rikkaidai's level, their chances of winning would be low. The battle was delayed due to the rain, but it felt like no amount of training would help them grow in time to be beat the other team.

To Tezuka, it didn't matter if they would win or lose, but _they_ certainly would've. Even if he told them otherwise, they would be disappointed in themselves for not making it to the top spot and make _him_ proud. He knew his team and he reflexively looked out the window, as if answers were there. _Is there any way he could help with only a few days left? _All he could do was listen to Oishi and give him some advice.

Days passed by and their respective trainings continued, he went for some rehabilitation exercise while his team was training to increase their chances. One day he slouched back the swivel chair in his room. His rehabilitation coach kind of reminded him of the teammates that caused him quite a few head-aches. He let out a deep breath and opened his mail again that day. He sent everyone his usual concise emails several hours prior before the match started, and now he was going to read the results.

He narrowed his eyes at mails. He got one from Oishi, the coach, and Reina- and they sent him very disconcerting messages. They sounded more optimistic, really, telling him the game was delayed for a week. But he could not help but feel Reina was hiding something.

He let out a deep breath and meditated.

It seems he was going to have to call her, after all.

**…**

ECHIZEN RESIDENCE  
><em>an hour later<em>

Several evenings had passed already since the picnic, and but she had little time to ponder about her childhood trauma—simply because new ones seemed to have a knock in popping up. A swell of annoyance welled inside her stomach as she recalled her humiliating defeat, and even a warm long bath did little to calm her nerves.

She opened the computer to check her emails, in the hopes of seeing Tezuka's replies, but there was nothing from him. Her mood soured immediately after. She sighed, stood up, and flopped down to her bed thinking of the past few days. They spent it with very little special training, added with how they finally got a hold of the Fudomine-Rikkai match—they quickly realized that they were not working hard enough. Rikkaidai literally _trashed_ Fudomine, and they did not even break a sweat. The worst part was Tachibana injured a ligament—a severe injury and a huge blow to Fudomine.

_Rikkadai._

And Seichi was their captain.

She let out a deep breath and held her hand against the light-colored ceiling. She wanted to grow so badly. Kunimitsu, Keigo, and now Seichi (along with that vice captain of his) had grown way too far away from her. And that she will, and she will defeat all of them one of these days.

She buried her head with a pillow, hoping it'd suck out all the annoyances—the frustrations—flowing through her veins at the moment. She stayed like that for a while, gradually realizing how little pillows could help, until her mother called for her. "Telephone!"

She frowned. Who was it _this_ time? Can't the universe sense that she was in a particularly bad mood that night? "...Hello?" she answered in drones, as if to tell the caller that she was very much bothered by his/her call, and there was no answer for a long one minute. She called again, but still no answer. She cursed and gestured to put down the phone when—

"Reina."

The phone felt like it was hanging in the air, even when she was holding it firmly right by her ear. She was frozen and for a long time all she could hear was her own heart beat, ringing in her ears. She wondered if he could hear it as well. Did he know how much she missed him? Probably. She knew this must be hard for him as well, and she would've understood if he didn't call her the whole time. But there he was now, and she wondered what happened. "Captain," was all she uttered, still distracted by the throbbing so audible in her ears.

"Is everything all right, Reina?" She blinked at this, and yet a major part of her was still swimming in the warmth of his voice. Amazing, it was like she didn't have problems... which was ironic as _problems_ was precisely the topic of this conversation. _Which one?_ She wanted to ask, and for a moment she wanted to tell him about the holdup _and_ the kidnapping but it would only worry him. She was not lying, and she won't keep it a secret from him for a while. She just wanted him to focus on his rehabilitation. They'll worry about her issues _together—_when he's back there in Japan with her.

So she let out a deep breath and answered as rationally as she could. "Rikkaidai is a very strong team. The way we are now… I doubt we will defeat them." "You don't need to win. We're already in the nationals." She held the phone tightly, staring at the wall in front of her, like Tezuka was there. "You know very well why we want this title."

"I do. But… we'll get back at them, then." "Maybe. But I want to be stronger, Mitsu." "You will, that's the kind of person that you are."

That was what he said. But she had discredited that statement before he even said it. And once more, memories of her defeat flooded her head. That day was the day of the finals, and they were all hyped up despite how intimidated they were. That's just how there were—Intimidated but excited to the point of shivering. But then it started pouring and the match was cancelled for a whole week.

She shook away an event that came after and told him about what happened before the announcement. They had a run in with three of Rikkaidai's best players. She knew Kirihara, of course, but she didn't know why he seemed… darker somehow. His image on her was also changed when she saw his sadistic side tortured Tachibana. He was so different when he's carefree—

"_Eh… Now not only Seigaku, but also Fudomine had lost their captain. They must not be practicing enough." _She could remember his smirk, hiding what may have been pain. She would've felt for him if he wasn't insulting and Ann got mad enough for everyone's sakes though, so she was calm. Her empathy for the other team was strong, because their own team captain—_her friend—_was in the hospital, as well.

"_Must be hard not to have your boyfriend with you, eh?" _She blinked a little at the recollection of that very ill-timing memory. They were walking away then, so when Horio asked who Kirihara was talking to she had the luxury of just ignoring everything. But then he was called by their vice captain, and the authority in his voice made even her turn to look. That guy had an aura that told her he was incredibly strong. Much stronger than her, she knew, and if she wanted to grow quickly she needed a much stronger opponent. At the time, awareness of their difference made that blasted announcement that much more irritating.

"Are you tired?" Tezuka called on to her, quickly pulling her out of her talkative reverie. She blushed a bit at how a word could send shiver down her spine, but she did not say so out loud.

"No," she answered in response, wishing to hear his voice more, just as she absent-mindedly looking up the clock. Her eyes widened a little. She had been talking for an _hour_ now—did she ever talk for so long?—and that meant it must be past midnight in Germany. "Are _you_ tired? It's already twelve there, right?"

"Well, we played after midnight remember?" He told her instead and she smiled. "Are you sure?" she asked, just in case. And they spoke of the most trivial of things :the climate, the weather, the culture—and he told her, in his own way, that he would like her there.

Eventually, the conversation turned to how long he still had to stay... and who actually paid for the hospital bills. "Eh…" Reina mumbled, almost chuckling. "So _that's_ why he went to your doctor and hid so desperately from us at the hospital…" She could see him nodding. "I'm going to call him in a few hours."

"Yeah. He'll hate you if you destroy his beauty sleep." She joked, looking at the clock again. She wondered the minimum amount of sleep needed by rehabilitation patients... "I think it's about time you get yours."

"You sound like you want to get rid of me already," He told her in response. "You still haven't told me a single one of your problems." She closed her eyes then, and thought of how empowering his voice was.

As embarrassing as things were, she decided to tell him every detail... how the team continued practicing when the rain subsided, how she encountered Rikkai's captain and in her impatience _challenged_ the guy, and how she was crushed just as Fudomine was.

_How could I be so weak? _Were the thoughts that passed by her head during the time, and Tezuka—knowing her feelings well—only listened as she told her story. She was on the verge of chuckling when she told him of how she got support from the most unlikely of sources: Akutsu.

She had tried to overcome the hurdle by asking Kawamura to do Hadokyuus for her, but it wasn't enough. She had ended up in the same court she was humiliated in..., and there was where she met the silver-headed ruffian again.

She really wanted to kill all these fear and insecurities, but then this guy came out-of-nowhere challenging her to a match. Four games, she lost, without a fight- and frankly she didn't care. She could still remember his glare, and his words. _"What happened to you, brat?"_ he had asked her in that harsh way of his._ "You've gotten weaker."_

"_The last time I saw those eyes they were focused and full of determination."_

"I realized that I encountered a wall, and I fell back." Reina told Tezuka softly. "I thought it was time to change."

"Akutsu received the honor of being the first one to experience your comeback." She smiled at this; she could still remember the events clearly inside her head.

_..._

_They were panting for air. She won, and it was tiring. She went on and became her usual arrogant self. "Long time no play. You sure had gotten rusty."_

"_Brat." He breathed out, and pointed his racket arrogantly at her. "Make sure that this person who beat you would experience his own defeat without hesitation." He said this only because it was embarrassing for someone who beat him to lose, of course. _

"_Of course." She told him and Akutsu nodded. "Good," he said with a hint of amusement. Ryoma then let out a deep breath and looked at him, after straightening herself up._

"_Akutsu." She called, and he stood up straight as well, narrowing his eyes in the process. They didn't stay that way though- his eyes widened immediately after- after she_ smiled_ at him."Arigatou."_

_..._

"Good Night, Mitsu." But before putting the phone down, she couldn't stop herself from getting arrogant. "We'll be the number one team in Kanto. We promise."

**…**

GERMANY  
><em>The next morning<em>

Tezuka was woken up by a knock. He stood and walked at his own pace, gingerly opening the door and tilting his head down when he initially saw no one. "Kurt," he voiced out, and the man grinned. "You forgot about the picnic today, huh?"

Tezuka did not speak because, in fact, he had forgotten of it. He sighed and readied himself as Kurt waited by his computer. "She's really cute, your girlfriend." If he wasn't him, he would've blushed. "Ah," was all he said before taking Kurt's handle to guide him out the door.

They met the doctor and the other patients by the large clearing at the Eastern side of the hospital. Everything was already set: the food, the people, and the activities. Mentally, Tezuka imagined how his team's picnic went, but he pushed down his homesickness at least until he was alone.

"It is really good for rehabilitation, activities like these." The doctor said beside him, lightly patting Kurt's shoulder. "Experiencing nature has empowering effects unknown to most.

At the time, without really realizing it, Tezuka was thinking what he'd do to give his team a chance to win, now that they had been given a week to improve. But the doctor's words made his eyes brightened a bit at an idea.

"Excuse me." He told them and walked back to the dorms. He'll be making quite a few international phone calls that day, it seemed.. And one of them is a rather shameless one, admittedly, but he'd do anything for his team.

"Atobe." He uttered in his first one, only this time he wasn't only going to thank him for taking care of his treatment. "I have a favour to ask."

.  
>.<p>

**END OF CHAPTER XLVIII**

**Coming Soon:  
>CHAPTER XLIX: Cottage<br>**Training in the mountains with the Monkey King

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><p><strong>REPLIES TO ANGELS <strong>

**CherryAmes15 - ** First of all thank you for reviewing! xD So glad to know you liked the chapter, esp. those parts you mentioned. More Tezzie here btw, albeit still not as much as you'd probably like. Regardless, do enjoy~

**Dark Lord of the Fallen Angel **– hahaha. How do you come up with your interesting usernames? XD Anywho, so sorry I took so long! Hope this is somewhat worth the wait and thx for commenting!

**MangaCzarina **– Yep. I foreshadowed that really early in the story (but it was written like 3 years ago so even I forgot about it lol). Anyway, thx for commenting! :D

**BloodyFangKing95** – Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the chapter! I hope hope hope this one's tolerable, considering the long wait. xD Thx again for the comment and do enjoy~

**BurnedSpy** – Here it is! I am sooo sorry I took forever. I can only pray this isn't a big disappointment and is enjoyed by you lovelies. Thank you for commenting, btw! :D

**Bluheat –** Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad to know I'm somehow managing to stick to the plot line. And I've read one of your stories, they're written well so yes! I shall go check it out. xD

**MyLiloITAChIassasin – **Yay! I'm relieved to know you think it's a great story. Thank you for telling me! I'm very happy. :D

**XXDD Smiles – (Ch7)** Lol cuz he is a stalker! Hahah. Stalker sadist tensai lol** (ch10) **IKR. I do hope it's still endearing! Fuji's creepiness, I mean. xD Anyway, thank you for the reviews! Much appreciated. ;D

**Yuna X Haku **– She won't fall for another boy, don't worry! She'll still be in a r. harem tho, and yep! Tezu will return in a few chaps. Hope the story's still nice to read, regardless! Thx for commenting btw. :D

**Keileenobiginiyoina – (ch46) **OIC now I know. xD Great name! haha. And loool I'm glad the whole cousin thing isn't as weird as I feared! haha** (ch47**) And yes! Because reverse harem are lovely. Lol. Here's the update btw! I couldn't fix the parts I don't like, but I do hope the rest are good~ Thank you for the reviews. :D

**Kazumi Rin –** the enlarging of the harem wasn't ridiculous!? Hahahaha I am sooo very relieved to know that. xD Thank you for the review btw! And I am flattered by the applause. xDD

**CharitinaX **– hahaha OMG imagining it is making me laugh. Not sure when I'd be able to write it down tho, but NOTED! Haha. Thx for the suggestion btw~

**Guest [March 11 2015] – (ch4)** I know, I know! I hope you weren't disappointed. I couldn't have him moving too fast. xD thx for commenting btw!

**DarkDragonessFliesEveryWhere – (ch4) **I hope you have been hooked this far! xD I'll understand if you don't but it's awesome if you did. Anyway, thank you for reviewing!

**Yuuki – (ch11)** hahaha. I know, I know. I hope he redeemed himself by now! Assuming you got to this chap, of course. Thx for the comment, by the way~ :D

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><p><strong>...<strong>

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><p><strong>Thank you for reading everyone!<strong>

**I'm sorry I took so long and I hope you enjoyed this.**

**Whatever you think, please write them down below!**


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